Impact of climate and land use on the temporal variability of sand fly density in Sri Lanka: A 2-year longitudinal study.

Background: Leishmaniasis has emerged as an escalating public health problem in Sri Lanka, with reported cases increasing nearly three folds over past decade, from 1,367 in 2014 to 3714 cases in 2023. Phlebotominae sand flies are the vectors of leishmaniasis. Their density is known to be influenced by context-specific climatic and land use patterns.

Private vs. public emergency visits for mental health due to heat: An indirect socioeconomic assessment of heat vulnerability and healthcare access, in Curitiba, Brazil.

Few studies have explored the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on the heat vulnerability of mental health (MH) patients. As individual socioeconomic data was unavailable, we aimed to fill this gap by using the healthcare system type as a proxy for SES. Brazilian national statistics indicate that public patients have lower SES than private.

Impact of climatic factors on temporal variability of sand fly abundance in Sri Lanka: Longitudinal study (2018 to 2020) with two-stage hierarchical analysis.

Background: Phlebotomine sand flies serve as vectors for leishmaniasis, a major health concern, but a neglected tropical disease. The risk of vector activity is governed by climatic factors that vary in different geographic zones in the country. Thus, we aimed to quantify the effect of climatic variables on sand fly vector activity in ten sentinel sites across Sri Lanka.

Assessing the associations between Aedes larval indices and dengue risk in Kalutara district, Sri Lanka: a hierarchical time series analysis from 2010 to 2019.

Background: Dengue is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. Aedes vector surveillance and monitoring of larval indices are routine, long-established public health practices in the country. However, the association between Aedes larval indices and dengue incidence is poorly understood.

Effect of El Niño-Southern Oscillation and local weather on Aedes dvector activity from 2010 to 2018 in Kalutara district, Sri Lanka: a two-stage hierarchical analysis.

Background: Dengue, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. Weather affects the abundance, feeding patterns, and longevity of Aedes vectors and hence the risk of dengue transmission. We aimed to quantify the effect of weather variability on dengue vector indices in ten Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions in Kalutara, Sri Lanka.

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on dengue transmission in Sri Lanka; A natural experiment for understanding the influence of human mobility.

Background: Dengue is one of the major public health problems in Sri Lanka. Its outbreak pattern depends on a multitude of drivers, including human mobility. Here we evaluate the impact of COVID-19 related mobility restriction (lockdown) on the risk of dengue in Sri Lanka.

Severe Dengue Epidemic, Sri Lanka, 2017.

In 2017, a dengue epidemic of unexpected magnitude occurred in Sri Lanka. A total of 186,101 suspected cases and 440 dengue-related deaths occurred. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of this epidemic by comparing national surveillance data for 2017 with data from the preceding 5 years.

Evaluation of intensified dengue control measures with interrupted time series analysis in the Panadura Medical Officer of Health division in Sri Lanka: a case study and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background: Dengue has become a major public health problem in Sri Lanka with a considerable economic burden. As a response, in June, 2014, the Ministry of Health initiated a proactive vector control programme in partnership with military and police forces, known as the Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) programme, that was targeted at high-risk Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions in the country. Evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of population-level interventions is essential to guide public health planning and resource allocation decisions, particularly in resource-limited health-care settings.

A Spatial Hierarchical Analysis of the Temporal Influences of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Weather on Dengue in Kalutara District, Sri Lanka.

Dengue is the major public health burden in Sri Lanka. Kalutara is one of the highly affected districts. Understanding the drivers of dengue is vital in controlling and preventing the disease spread.