Dengue is a public health problem in Sri Lanka with over 50 000 cases reported each year in the recent past. The country has been successful in bringing down the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) over the last two decades which was around from 5% in 1996 to 1% in 2009 and has declined gradually over time to 0.07% in 2023. It shows the resilience and high capacity of the curative sector in managing of dengue patients. However, the country experiences rising cases during the rainy seasons in June-July and October-December every year. During the last quarter of 2023, almost all districts of the country have reported dengue cases, with Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts in the Western Province having the highest case detection rates during this year.

Sri Lanka’s achievement is due to multiple factors such as the availability of evidence-based clinical guidelines, continuous capacity building of clinical staff, and regular organization of dengue death review processes, which were streamlined from 2009 onwards. However, dengue continues to be a challenge for Sri Lanka.

National Institution of Infectious Diseases (NIID) which was established in 1926 is the pioneer infectious disease hospital in Sri Lanka. NIID rendered its valuable service during recent major events, notably during the Dengue 2017 epidemic and COVID-19 (2020-2021) pandemic. The hospital has modern treatment facilities (including a specialized dengue treatment unit), a highly skilled and dedicated staff, and a national level training facility for clinical management of dengue.