Health officials are encouraging the public to use an online platform to access HIV testing and prevention services, including self-testing kits and the discreet ordering of condoms and lubricants, as part of a push to widen screening coverage.
Dr. Vino Dharmakulasinghe, Consultant Venereologist at the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP), told the Daily Mirror that the KNOW4SURE.LK platform offers a convenient and confidential route to services for people who may be reluctant to visit a clinic in person.
Users can assess their own risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, order self-test kits, locate nearby testing centres and book appointments for screening.
“People can use the platform confidentially to find out their HIV risk and access testing services,” Dr. Dharmakulasinghe said. “We encourage more people to use this service so that we can increase HIV testing and identify infections at an early stage.”
Reaching people the clinics miss
The clinical case for the platform rests on a shift in how people meet partners. Dr. Dharmakulasinghe said many from high-risk and vulnerable groups now find partners through social media and dating applications, but are not connected to conventional prevention, testing and treatment services.
Appointments can be reserved at government clinics or with selected private practitioners. Testing at government clinics is free; a nominal fee may apply at private facilities. The platform also supplies condoms, lubricants and test kits by order.
The programme says information collected is used to direct users to appropriate services and for programme purposes, and that confidentiality and anonymity are maintained. People seeking advice can also reach a trained outreach worker through the service on 070 647 7044.
KNOW4SURE was developed by the NSACP with the LINKAGES Sri Lanka project, with support from USAID and PEPFAR.
Why testing is being scaled up
The push follows a run of figures pointing the wrong way. HIV detection has risen steadily since 2023, with Colombo and Gampaha recording the highest numbers and infection rates notably higher among men. The NSACP has been running a mobile clinic pilot in those two districts since January.
Separately, NSACP data shows early syphilis cases among men rose from 89 in 2019 to 508 in 2025, a near-fivefold increase.
The Daily Mirror report did not say how many people have used KNOW4SURE since it launched, how many self-test kits have been distributed, or what share of new HIV diagnoses now originate through the platform — the figures that would show whether the digital route is reaching people the clinic network does not.
