Epidemic profile of COVID-19 child deaths in Sri Lanka: a retrospective nationwide analysis.

Introduction: Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child survival is crucial. Analysing COVID-19-related child deaths, even years after the pandemic, is critical for informing future pandemic preparedness and response efforts.

Methods: We conducted an analysis of all "SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 positive deaths" among children and adolescents (aged < 18 years) recorded through a purposefully designed Child Death Surveillance and Response System (CDSRS) from October 2020 to September 2022.

SARC-F: an effective screening tool for detecting sarcopenia and predicting health-related quality of life in older women in Sri Lanka.

Objective: The "Strength, Assistance with walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, and Falls" (SARC-F) is a simple, five-item tool used to identify individuals with suggestive signs of sarcopenia. This study assessed the validity of the Sinhala version of the SARC-F, evaluating its ability to detect sarcopenia in older women and its potential to predict health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: The culturally adapted Sinhala version of the SARC-F, along with the Short Form-36 (SF-36) survey, was administered among 350 older women (aged ≥ 65) attending medical clinics at National Hospital Galle, Sri Lanka.

Availability and accessibility of cytotoxic medicines in the WHO model list of essential medicines for childhood cancer in low and lower-middle- income countries: a systematic review.

Background: Socio-economic inequalities significantly impact paediatric cancer survival. The review aims to elucidate the facilitators and barriers influencing the availability and accessibility of essential medicines for childhood cancer (EMCC) in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs).

Methods: This systematic review was conducted adhering to the PRISMA guidelines.

Penicillin Allergy Management in India and Sri Lanka: Current Challenges.

Data regarding Penicillin allergy labels (PALs) from India and Sri Lanka are sparse. Emerging data suggests that the proportion of patients declaring an unverified PAL in secondary care in India and Sri Lanka (1%-4%) is lesser than that reported in High Income Countries (15%-20%). However, even this relatively small percentage translates into a large absolute number, as this part of the world accounts for approximately 25% of the global population.

Psychological burden and its correlates in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis attending three tertiary care centers in Sri Lanka.

Psoriasis is associated with psychological distress among the affected due to unsightly skin lesions, chronicity and the cultural and social stigma linked with the disease. The pathophysiological link between psoriasis and depression creates a vicious cycle in the skin and brain axis. This study evaluates the psychological comorbidity of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis (CPP).