Poor Health

Prevention, they say, is better than cure – it is also a lot cheaper, as Sri Lanka’s cash starved health authorities have finally worked out.





Prevention, they say, is better than cure – it is also a lot cheaper, as Sri Lanka’s cash starved health authorities have finally worked out. On Tuesday the Ministry of Health and the World Bank launched a joint Rs.



7.26 bn health sector development programme that would focus strongly on preventive health as opposed to traditional curative health care.

"The emphasis must be on prevention. Building more and more hospitals wont help. So far the prevention aspects in public health has not been sufficient," said the Minister of Health, Nimal Siripala de Silva, at the project launch.

Much of the Rs 6.00 bn grant from the World Bank and the Rs 1.

26 bn from the government, will go to support preventive care services at district and divisional level.

As the country director of the World Bank, Peter Harold points out; prevention is the best health advice for Sri Lanka.

This is because - thanks to years of free and widespread public health services - Sri Lanka has achieved ‘developed-country-s