BACKGROUND Sri Lanka is a developing country with a high rate of cardiovascular mortality. It is still largely dependent on thrombolysis for primary management of acute myocardial infarction. The aim of this study was to present current data on the presentation, management, and outcomes of acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) at a tertiary-care hospital in Sri Lanka. METHO...

Tobacco use is the world's leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality, resulting in nearly 6 million deaths each year (1). Smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes and cigars, are the most common form of tobacco consumed worldwide (2), and most tobacco smokers begin smoking during adolescence (3). The health benefits of quitting are greater for persons who stop smoking at earlier a...

BACKGROUND Rabies is endemic in Sri Lanka, but little is known about the temporal and spatial trends of rabies in this country. Knowing these trends may provide insight into past control efforts and serve as the basis for future control measures. In this study, we analyzed distribution of rabies in humans and animals over a period of 12 years in Sri Lanka. METHODS Accumulated data from 1999 t...

Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) is an emerging epidemic among farming communities in rural Sri Lanka. Victims do not exhibit common causative factors, however, histopathological studies revealed that CKDu is a tubulointerstitial disease. Urine albumin or albumin-creatinine ratio is still being used as a traditional diagnostic tool to identify CKDu, but accuracy and prevalenc...

BACKGROUND Sri Lanka recorded an extraordinary high suicide rate for adolescents aged 15 - 19 in the early 1990s (46.5/100,000). With this in perspective, the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka recommends school programmes for adolescents by mental health units of local hospitals. METHODS We conducted cross sectional surveys to screen for symptoms of anxiety and depression among students aged 14...

Non-fatal self-poisoning is a challenging problem facing Sri Lanka, as well as other South Asian countries [1, 2]. Previously, the commonest method of selfpoisoning in Sri Lanka was by ingestion of pesticides, and rates were equal or higher in males compared to females [3, 4]. This gender ratio contrasted with international studies which report higher rates of attempted suicide by drug overdose...

Supun D Wijesinghe 1* and Dulitha N Fernando 2 1 Consultant Community Physician, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka 2 Emeritus Professor of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Corresponding author : Supun D Wijesinghe Abstract Maternal perception of antenatal care quality is an important attribute in understanding the relationship between quality and utilizatio...

Sri Lanka was one of the first developing nations to understand the importance of investing in human resources and promoting gender equality. Advances made by the country in health and education are at par with those of the advanced countries. Near universal literacy and a well-developed system of school education, places Sri Lanka as a leader in education in South Asia and amongst the top-perf...

Developments in Sri Lanka after the Tsunami disaster of December 26, 2004 have intensified the country’s prolonged political crisis. This deepening crisis is exemplified in the continuing debate concerning the inconclusive efforts being made by the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to find a framework of cooperation to obtain and utilise international assis...