Sri Lanka is a country with an approximate area of 66 thousand square kilometers (UNO, 2008). The population is 20,409,946 and the sex ratio (men per hundred women) is 98 (UNO, 2009). The proportion of the population under the age of 18 years is 28% and the proportion above age 60 is 8% (UNO, 2009). The literacy rate is 97% for men and 99% for women (UN Statistics, 2008). The life expectancy at...

This study tests weak and semi-strong form efficiency of the foreign exchange market in Sri Lanka during the recent float using six bilateral exchange rates. Weak-form efficiency is examined using unit root tests while semi-strong form efficiency is tested using co-integration, Granger causality tests and variance decomposition analysis. Results indicate that the Sri Lankan foreign exchange mar...

Surveys of mosquitos in Sri Lanka have generally been confined to the South. A recent study in Jaffna peninsula in northern Sri Lanka reported on the biology of peridomestic mosquito species. The present survey indicates the predominant species to be Armigeres durhami (Edwaards) and Armigeres subalbatus (Coquillett). Aedes albopictus (Skuse), Ae. aegypti (Linnaeus) and Ae. novalbopictus Barraud...

We read the article, 'Oral health status during pregnancy: rural urban comparisons of oral disease burden among antenatal women in Sri Lanka' by Karunachandra et al with interest. Pregnant women in rural Sri Lanka were found to have more dental or periodontal disease than those in urban areas but they used oral healthcare services less frequently due to concerns about the safety of oral care du...

Sri Lanka has a relatively small number of HIV/AIDS cases, but highrisk behaviors that contribute to the spread of the infection are prevalent, making the country highly vulnerable to an AIDS epidemic. Sri Lanka has a narrowing window of opportunity to forestall a largescale epidemic, and the government has requested the World Bank’s help in expanding and strengthening its HIV/AIDS prevention e...

Sri Lanka is a country experiencing many transitions – sociodemographic, economic and epidemiological – all of which are greatly influencing health development. In the health sector, success in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was focused on certain specific health issues. A year ago, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted, with an agenda of unprecedented scope and ambitio...

Leptospirosis is an emerging infectious disease with worldwide distribution.[1] It is endemic in most tropical and subtropical countries. In Sri Lanka, leptospirosis is a notiÞ able disease and around 1500 cases are reported annually to the epidemiology unit.[2] Almost all the cases are reported on clinical suspicion without laboratory conÞ rmation.[3] Seroepidemiological data on leptospirosis ...

2. Submitted by* Dr. Manuj C Weerasinghe, on behalf of the committee on R&D for developing medicines and devices for diabetes mellitus Contact details Dr. Manuj C Weerasinghe, No 25, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Kynsey Road, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka. Email: [email protected] Tele:+94 718021167 (Sri Lanka will be the lead country from the region for this project) 3. Target disease o...

BACKGROUND South Asians living in western countries are known to have unfavourable cardiovascular risk profiles. Studies indicate migrants are worse off when compared to those living in country of origin. The purpose of this study was to compare selected cardiovascular risk factors between migrant Sri Lankans living in Oslo, Norway and Urban dwellers from Kandy, Sri Lanka. METHODS Data on non...

In addition to sponsoring yearly international cancer research conferences in Sapporo, Japan, the Sapporo Cancer Seminar Foundation has long been involved in projects in Sri Lanka to improve the health of its people. Together with staff of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency office in Colombo, Dr Hiroshi Kobayashi of the Foundation has been sponsoring a number of activities focusing o...