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Does Sri Lanka need to introduce the vaccine against rotavirus?
We do not know yet, says Dr. Ranjith Batuwanthudawe of the Epidemiology Unit of the Health Ministry, explaining that a study is being carried out at present at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital to study the epidemiology of rotavirus diarrhoea in Sri Lanka.

“The interim results of the study started in April 2005, with children below five years of age, indicate that a reasonable proportion of over 1,000 stool samples tested by Dr. Geethani Galagoda of the Medical Research Institute has tested positive for rotavirus. These positive samples have been sent to Melbourne in Australia, for further testing,” he said adding that the study was conducted among both admitted and OPD patients.

The study will continue for at least two more years, with a survey being planned to assess the pattern of hospital utilization for diarrhoeal diseases.
When both the study at the LRH and the survey are put together, we will be able to arrive at an estimate of rotavirus diarrhoea for Sri Lanka, he said. The prevalence rate for rotavirus is not known yet, although some extensive studies had been done by Prof. Lalitha Mendis which have indicated that rotavirus is present in children with diarrhoeal diseases in Sri Lanka.

Stressing that there are no deaths due to diarrhoea in Sri Lanka, Dr. Batuwanthudawe said most people in Sri Lanka are well aware of the need to drink clean water, wash their hands, etc. “Our parents are well aware of the need to rehydrate their children when they are suffering from diarrhoea using simple home-made fluids like kenda. They are also well aware of the use of Jeewani and how to prepare it.”

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