Will COVID-19 Trigger a Baby Boom or Bust?
*Sandamali is 26 weeks pregnant but she doesn’t yet know the sex of her unborn child. She lives in Bodagama with her husband and her two children, where healthcare facilities are at…
Healthcare
COVID-19 Resurgence: Let’s Not Lose Hope but Let’s Not Tolerate Inadequate Solutions
Sri Lanka is facing a resurgence of COVID-19 due to the Delta variant that mirrors the devastating surge in India in April. In the last 24 hours government sources have reported 3,435…
Vaccine Politics
Public health crises by definition are not going to grant much personal choice to individuals. It’s been 18 months now since the inception of the coronavirus pandemic and there’s just enough data…
COVID-19 Public Health Measures Are Essential Even with Vaccinations
On July 19, 2021, at a World Health Organization (WHO) press conference, COVID-19 Technical Lead Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove’s son asked a question that has been on all our minds “when will…
COVID-19: Three Immediate Policy Priorities to Save Lives
Sri Lanka is facing an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases with the number of daily cases over 3,000, a weekly increase of over 50 percent from last week Friday, May 14. Government…
Understanding Covid-19 Variants
Sri Lanka, similar to many other countries in the region, is facing a rapid surge in the number of COVID-19 cases. On May 9, Sri Lanka recorded 2,672 cases, the highest number…
Ban on Chemical Fertilizer a Threat to Food Security
The ban on the import of chemical fertilizer makes sense to some and not to others; however it has far reaching implications for food security. In the pre independence era, the population…
Your Mask is a Powerful Tool With or Without the Vaccine
On April 30 Sri Lanka recorded the highest number of cases in a day at 1,662 cases – and a seven-day average of 1,208 cases. With the vaccine supply low due to…
Bitter Sugar, Poisoned Oil
The recent scandals involving sugar and coconut oil should point the country to the dangers of private sector mafias and rent seekers. These are not your typical consumer goods: they are fast…
Where is Kindness in Our COVID-19 Health Policy?
Towards end of March, about two months into the pandemic, a TV program discussed the challenges of the pandemic response with politicians. A disturbing theme that was too prominent to ignore was…
A Brief Guide to COVID-19 Vaccines and Life After Vaccination
Sri Lanka, although facing challenges related to vaccination coordination, has started vaccinating the public. As misinformation can be a serious challenge to understanding the vaccine landscape during this crucial time, here is…
Misguided Policies Damage A Valued Public Health System
Sri Lanka hit the lowest point in their COVID-19 response when a 20-day-old Muslim infant was cremated on December 9, 2020 against the wishes of his parents and against their religious faith. Islamic faith…
Wanted: A Princess Diana to End the Stigma of AIDS in Sri Lanka
When Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was first discovered in the early 1980s, it was considered a lethal disease, easily transmitted and a death sentence to all who had it. People with AIDS…
What Death Can Teach Us
The title for this article is taken from the motto above the doorway to the morgue. The Latin words translate as “This is a place where Death has much to teach those…
Death in the Time of Corona: A Risky Business for Muslims
The question of the burial or cremation of COVID-19 victims took a bizarre turn to expose a government at odds with itself with Ministers and health authorities sending out mixed messages and…
