Introduction Abortion is legally permitted in Sri Lanka, only if it is performed to save the mother’s life. However, it is estimated that a large number of induced abortions take place in Sri Lanka. Knowledge and attitudes towards induced abortion in the society are key issues influencing the policy response towards changes in the law. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of a...

BACKGROUND Road traffic crashes (RTCs) are a leading cause of death. In low and middle income countries (LMIC) data to conduct hotspot analyses and safety audits are usually incomplete, poor quality, and not computerized. Police data are often limited, but there are no alternative gold standards. This project evaluates high road utilizer surveys as an alternative to police data to identify RTC ...

Numerous studies have shown growing information indicating the contribution of food to the dietary exposure of arsenic (As) through consumption of different food items in many different regions over the world. However, few review papers with regard to As in Sri Lankan foods are available in databases. Thus, a critical review and assessment of a number of local studies on total As concentrations...

In recent decades, the proportion of people aged 60 years and above has increased rapidly in Sri Lanka. With this unprecedented increase, Sri Lanka faces great challenges in meeting the health and social needs of the older people. There is a paucity of information related to quality of life (QOL) and related factors among elderly in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study planned to examine quality of...

After eliminating local malaria transmission and being certified as a malaria-free country, Sri Lanka is facing the challenge of imported malaria. At the same time, the country has the unique opportunity to be a case study for other countries in a similar situation by approaching this issue systematically, guided by evidence. This study demonstrates the importance of developing a mechanism to d...

The following five species of Medetera are described as new from Sri Lanka: M. peradeniya, M. kandyensis, M. colombensis, M. nuwarensis, M. subgrisescens. A key is provided to males of the ten known Sri Lankan species of Medetera.

The history of disease and health in colonial Sri Lanka has been largely ignored. Historians of colonial economic and social policies in that country have produced a deluge of materials without mentioning the impact of colonial labour policy on the health of the indigenous people.' Meanwhile, even those who have written on the history of medicine in Sri Lanka have not fully accounted for coloni...

Sri Lanka is a tropical island located South of India in the Indian Ocean. Malaria has been prevalent in the island for centuries but the country succeeded in eliminating the disease in 2013. Factors governing the past endemicity of malaria and its successful elimination from Sri Lanka in 2013 are analyzed. There is evidence that malaria might have been first introduced in the thirteenth centur...

PURPOSE To identify the causes of blindness and severe visual impairment (BL/SVI) in children attending schools for the blind in Sri Lanka, and to provide optical devices and ophthalmic treatment where indicated. METHODS Two hundred and six children under 16 years from 13 schools for the blind in Sri Lanka were examined by a team of ophthalmologists and optometrists. Data were entered in the ...

Introduction Attempted or non-fatal self-poisoning is an important public health problem in Sri Lanka. Current evidence from Sri Lanka suggests that this phenomenon is more common among young people, and females, and is associated with a recent interpersonal conflict. International studies indicate that recent non-fatal selfharm is associated with an increased risk of repetition and completed s...