Sri Lanka’s rising number of reported HIV infections has raised questions over the effectiveness of the country’s prevention programs with a senior specialist warning that existing interventions are insufficient to address the growing public health challenge.

Consultant Venereologist Dr. Nimali Jayasuriya, President of the Sri Lanka College of Sexual Health and HIV Medicine (SLCoSHH), said reported HIV cases had increased since 2023, with projections indicating a continued rise through 2026.Speaking at a media briefing organized by the Ministry of Health and Mass Media yesterday (14), she said efforts to control sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV had faced setbacks following the COVID-19 pandemic.The economic crisis, increased internet access after the pandemic, unsafe sexual practices and rising drug use, particularly among people who inject drugs, were among the factors she identified as contributing to the situation.Her remarks raise questions about whether existing prevention and awareness programs are keeping pace with changing patterns of sexual behaviour and drug use, despite decades of national efforts to control HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Dr. Jayasuriya said Colombo continued to report a high number of HIV cases, while infections were also being detected through testing programs conducted across the country. Cases were being reported among people of different age groups and occupational backgrounds, she said.She identified unprotected sexual relations between men as a major factor in HIV transmission, adding that the prevalence of HIV was highest among men who have sex with men. She also warned that infections associated with injecting drug use posed a serious concern.According to figures cited by Dr. Jayasuriya, around 80 to 100 syphilis cases were reported annually before 2021, compared with approximately 1,500 cases a year at present. She also said Hepatitis B cases had doubled this year compared with the previous year.The figures point to broader challenges in preventing sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections. However, updated national surveillance data would be needed to establish the scale of the increase and assess the contribution of individual risk factors.

Sri Lanka has provided HIV prevention and treatment services through its National STD/AIDS Control Program, with free treatment available to people living with HIV. Dr. Jayasuriya said modern prevention and treatment options were available, including approaches involving fewer medications and fewer side effects.Despite these services, she said existing programs  remained insufficient to address the current situation, highlighting the need for stronger awareness and preventive interventions.

Sri Lanka reported its first AIDS patient in 1986, and the National STD/AIDS Control Program and the SLCoSHH have since contributed to efforts to control the disease.The latest concerns raise questions about whether prevention services are reaching vulnerable populations effectively, whether testing is identifying infections early enough and whether interventions are adequately addressing the risks associated with unsafe sex and injecting drug use.

The Ministry of Health and Mass Media has not provided, in the information presented at the briefing, a detailed breakdown of the latest HIV figures or a specific assessment of the effectiveness of current prevention programs.The briefing also announced that the SLCoSHH would hold its 31st Annual Academic Sessions and Conference from October 29 to 31 at the ITC Ratnadipa Hotel, in collaboration with the British HIV Association.The conference, to be held under the theme “Bridging to Tomorrow: Advancing Sexual Health and HIV Medicine through Collaboration and Innovation”, is expected to focus on developments in sexual health and HIV medicine.