Innovations in Criminal Law Against Abuse of Women Sri Lankan Perspective

In Sri Lanka, women are subjected to violence in a range of contexts, includingphysical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse. It takes place both outside andinside the home which results in physical and emotional pain.. In considering thewomen's physical security, Sri Lanka represents the group that „lacks physical security‟.Being a member of State to the international and regional instruments in preventing anderadicating violence against women, Sri Lanka has introduced some penal laws toensure women‟s protection. However, the protection of their rights in the criminaljustice process and assistance provided to them are issues which are not addressedadequately.This paper critically evaluates the developments in substantive and proceduralcriminal laws in Sri Lanka. Further, the prevalence of the problem, types of violencethat Sri Lankan women are being subjected to with its consequences, the internationaljurisprudence and the extent to which the penal laws should be further modified in orderto protect women from abuse will be discussed. This research is based on both libraryand fields research which involves reviewing of publications and interviews withrelevant authorities.This study found that lacking a reliable mechanism for maintaining crimestatistics and data relating to violence against women, absence of effective substantiveand procedural criminal laws that aligned with international and regional standards topunish the perpetrators, lack of proper system of rehabilitation and assistance forvictims have aggravated the situation and led to serious social problems such as anincrease in the rate of sexually transmitted diseases, sexual exploitation of women,unwanted pregnancies and psychological harms.Key words: Criminal law, Sexual abuse, Domestic violence, Trafficking, Sri Lank

Challenges for Liver Transplantation During Recovery From the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights and Recommendations.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is placing an increasing burden on liver transplant (LT) services worldwide. At the peak of the pandemic, many LT services worldwide reduced or halted their activities. With the gradual easing of lockdowns, LT teams face new challenges when restarting activities. The numbers of LTs are likely to drop in the immediate post-COVID era. Prolonged and intermittent lockdowns are likely to lead to a shortage of supplies, especially in poor resource settings. Special attention is needed to avoid nosocomial COVID-19 infection among cirrhotic patients awaiting transplant, post-transplant patients, and members of transplant teams. LT programs may have to revise existing strategies in selecting donors and recipients for transplants. Redesigning service provision, restructuring outpatient care, carefully screening and selecting donors and recipients, and performing LT with limited resources will have to be initiated in the post-COVID era if long-term recovery of LT services is to be expected. Costs involved with LT are likely to increase, considering the change in protocols of testing, quarantining, and interstate traveling. This paper discusses the different elements affecting and the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on LT and strategies to minimize the impact of these factors and to adapt so LT services can meet the health care needs during this pandemic and beyond

Asian Pacific association for the study of liver (APASL) guidelines: hepatitis B virus in pregnancy

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection still remains a major public health issue in the Asia-Pacific region. Most of the burden of HBV-related disease results from infections acquired in infancy through perinatal or early childhood exposure to HBV in Asia-Pacific. Hepatitis B during pregnancy presents unique management issues for both the mother and fetus. These APASL guidelines provide a comprehensive review and recommendations based on available evidence in the literature, for the management of females with HBV infection through every stage of pregnancy and postpartum. These also address the concerns, management challenges, and required follow-up of children born to hepatitis B-positive mothers

Validation of the World Health Organization/ International Society of Hypertension (WHO/ISH) cardiovascular risk predictions in Sri Lankans based on findings from a prospective cohort study.

Introduction and objectivesThere are no cardiovascular (CV) risk prediction models for Sri Lankans. Different risk prediction models not validated for Sri Lankans are being used to predict CV risk of Sri Lankans. We validated the WHO/ISH (SEAR-B) risk prediction charts prospectively in a population-based cohort of Sri Lankans.MethodWe selected 40-64 year-old participants from the Ragama Medical Officer of Health (MOH) area in 2007 by stratified random sampling and followed them up for 10 years. Ten-year risk predictions of a fatal/non-fatal cardiovascular event (CVE) in 2007 were calculated using WHO/ISH (SEAR-B) charts with and without cholesterol. The CVEs that occurred from 2007-2017 were ascertained. Risk predictions in 2007 were validated against observed CVEs in 2017.ResultsOf 2517 participants, the mean age was 53.7 year (SD: 6.7) and 1132 (45%) were males. Using WHO/ISH chart with cholesterol, the percentages of subjects with a 10-year CV risk ConclusionsWHO/ISH (SEAR B) risk prediction charts with-and without-cholesterol may be used in Sri Lanka. Risk charts are more predictive in males than in females and for lower-risk categories. The predictions when stratifying into 2 categories, low risk (<20%) and high risk (≥20%), are more appropriate in clinical practice