Sri Lanka’s life expectancy has risen significantly over the past 15 years, with officials attributing the gain to the sustained success of the Health Ministry’s National Immunization Programme.
Chief Epidemiologist of the Epidemiology Unit Dr. Palitha Karunapema said routine childhood vaccinations delivered under the programme have effectively controlled a wide range of infectious diseases. He made the remarks at a media briefing held at the Health Promotion Bureau to mark World Immunization Week, which runs from April 24 to 30.
Dr. Karunapema noted that the National Immunization Programme, launched in 1978, has enabled Sri Lanka to eliminate polio, neonatal tetanus and rubella — diseases that once caused significant childhood mortality. The programme has also sharply reduced the spread of other vaccine-preventable infections.
The initiative has played a central role in driving down child mortality and lifting overall life expectancy over the past decade and a half, Dr. Karunapema said. Sri Lanka’s immunization coverage consistently ranks among the highest in South Asia, with the Ministry of Health maintaining a comprehensive vaccine schedule from infancy through school age.
The programme operates through the island-wide network of Medical Officers of Health divisions and public hospitals, providing vaccines free of charge at state facilities. Coverage has been sustained through the 2022 economic crisis and the disruptions of Cyclone Ditwah, though aid agencies including UNICEF have flagged cold-chain and procurement pressures during the foreign exchange shortage.
World Immunization Week is observed globally each year in the last week of April under the auspices of the World Health Organization, which has urged countries to maintain routine vaccination coverage following post-pandemic setbacks in several regions. Sri Lanka’s participation this year centres on public education around the long-term gains delivered by consistent childhood immunization.
