Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya

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The final groups of Batch 33 (Group E & H) completed their Community Medicine Clerkship Programme on 1st of October 2025. As usual, a student-led quiz was organized two days before the OSCE, to support students to review their learning and prepare for the end-appointment OSCE.

Group E1 claimed victory in the quiz, topping the scoreboard by a considerable margin. Department of Public Health wishes to congratulate them for their enthusiasm and efforts.
https://medicine.kln.ac.lk/depts/publichealth/index.php/department-news/89-batch-33-group-e-h-community-medicine-clerkship-quiz-winners-oct-2025

Looking for a young and energetic graduate to join our team

Congratulations to Our Global Achievers

The University of Kelaniya proudly celebrates seven distinguished scholars who have been recognized among the World’s Top-Cited Scientists (2025) in the Updated Science-Wide Author Databases of Standardized Citation Indicators (Version 8, August 2025 Data), published on 19 September 2025.

Our Honored Scholars

Prof. Janaka de Silva
Prof. Sachith Mettananda
Prof. Nilanthi de Silva
Prof. Asitha de Silva
Prof. Ananda Rajitha Wickramasinghe
Prof. Anuradhani Kasturiratne
Prof. Nayana Gunathilaka

This recognition highlights their exceptional contribution to global research and scholarly impact.

Ref: https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/8

Best performer in Community Health Strand Batch 32 participates in capacity building programme at Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand

The best performer of the Community Health Strand of MBBS Batch 32 was nominated for a training and capacity building workshop at the Faculty of Public Health at Mahidol University, Thailand from 18th to 25th August 2025.

Mr Dion Shashen Perera, who obtained the highest marks for the Community Health Strand was offered an all-expense paid training at Mahidol University, with a group of academics from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, where he was exposed to the health system of Thailand and best practices in health promotion and Public Health teaching by expert academics in the field.

Mr Perera also participated in the 8th International Conference on Occupational Health and Cardiovascular Disease held from 20th to 22nd August at the Mahidol University as part of this capacity-building programme. The Department of Public Health congratulates him on his great achievement and hope this training facilitates a long and successful career of service to mankind.

The department extends a special thank you to Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, for coordinating this futuristic initiative and the President of Mahidol University, the Dean and the International Relations Office at Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand, for providing this great opportunity.

Two members from the Department of Public Health and the best performer of the Community Health Strand MBBS Batch 32 participated in the capacity building program at Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University Thailand in August 2025.

Undergraduate Student Research presentations at Sri Lanka Medical Association 138th Anniversary International Medical Congress

Six student research groups presented their research projects conducted under the Community Health Strand at the Sri Lanka Medical Association 138th Anniversary International Medical Congress held from 23rd to 26th July 2025 at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo.
Two oral presentations and four poster presentations were made by students of Batch 32, MBBS program.
For more details:
https://medicine.kln.ac.lk/depts/publichealth/index.php/department-news/86-undergraduate-student-research-presentations-at-sri-lanka-medical-association-138th-anniversary-international-medical-congress

Substance Use and Public Health: Bridging Gaps through Policy, Practice, and Partnerships

Dr. Manuja Perera, a member of the department was a panellist in a plenary session in the Global Public Health Summit 2025 under the theme "Substance Use and Public Health: Bridging Gaps through Policy, Practice, and Partnerships". The session was organised by the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB), to showcase the current challenges and solutions for substance use prevention and the importance to strengthen partnerships among different stakeholders. This plenary session included a panel discussion in which Dr. Manuja Perera spoke about “Prohibited to***co products, ni****ne addiction and related industry tactics”. In the panel discussion, she highlighted the importance of keeping up with the global strategies on “Tobacco Endgame”, that is, eliminating ni****ne addiction.

She stressed that the to***co industry is not giving up easily, and that they are using tactics such as flavoured products, product innovations and interference in policies and control actions to fight this global movement. She spoke about the role their “new products” serve to sustain ni****ne addiction and highlighted how it includes ni****ne replacement therapy as well, accentuating how the industry is pretending to be the solution for the problem they have generated. She emphasised that to***co industry propagating misinformation, manipulating science and interfering in effective policy development and implementation prevent the progress of evidence-based, impactful, to***co endgame strategies. Dr Perera stressed on the need for strengthening the enforcement of existing rules and regulations as well as involving young people in to***co control to win the “to***co endgame”. This session was held on 14th of July 2025 at the Hilton Hotel Residencies Colombo

Student debates under the Community Health Strand

First year students of MBBS Batch 36 engaged in an educational debate on Friday 18th July 2025 at the Pre-Clinical Auditorium. This debate was conducted as a teaching learning activity of the Community Health Strand under the Department of Public Health.

Student debated on the topics;

State hospitals should / should not offer paying facilities (Group A vs Group B)
Population ageing does / does not have a positive impact on development of the society (Group C vs D)

During both debates students used their learning in primary health care, demography, health economics and determinants of health to deliver their arguments. Winners were selected by student votes while technical and content related feedback was provided by the academic staff.

Student research presentations at Global Public Health Summit 2025
(14th to 16th July at Hilton Colombo Residencies)

Four undergraduate student research projects of Batch 32 MBBS program conducted under the Community Health Strand were presented at the Global Public Health Summit 2025 & 30th Annual Academic Sessions of the College of Community Physicians Sri Lanka.

Research Group - A.1.5. (Supervised by – Dr. Lathika Athauda), presented the research titled, Adolescents’ exposure to Non-Communicable Disease risk factors; a photovoice study as a poster Presentation.
Members of the research group include;
C.P. Athukorala
A.M.N.H. Attanayake
K.P.R.U. Balagalla
B.A.S.D. Balasooriya
R.P.M.L.Y. Bandara

Research Group A.2.3 supervised by Dr. Dr. Manuja Perera presented the research titled, Decoding milk powder advertisements: are they propagating myths? as a poster presentation.
The members of the research group include;
D.M.N.N. Dissanayake
D.M.C.H. Dissanayake
D.V.K.T. Duldeniya
E.P.N. Edirisinghe
⁠Dorji. P. Wangmo

Research Group B.2.5 supervised by Dr. Manuja Perera presented the research titles, Psychiatrists’ Perception on legalizing cannabis and its cultivation in Sri Lanka as a poster Presentation

The members of the research group include;
D.P. Lokubalasooriya
L.D.C.T.S. Liyanagoda
W.R.A.G. Madhusankha
M.K.J.K. Madurapperuma
S.D. Mahaliyana

Research Group C.2.1, supervised by Dr. Manuja Perera presented their research titled "Are Mothers Still Telling Stories?" as an Oral Presentation.

The members of the research group include;
P.A.D.S. Perera
L.P.D. Perera
K.N.N.R. Perera
M.L.K Perera
M.V.N.L. Perera

Official Press Release