Qualitative Study of Stakeholder Perceptions Related to Requirements for Elimination of Dog Rabies in Sri Lanka by 2025

Rabies has been eliminated in some Asian countries including Japan, Singapore, Maldives, and Hong Kong. Sri Lanka is close to joining that group:  human rabies cases declined from 288 in 1975 to 23 in 2017, due largely to intradermal post-exposure prophylaxis. The weakest link in rabies elimination in Sri Lanka is inconsistent prevention at the source due in part to insufficient institutional capacity to achieve the goal of 70% dog vaccination coverage.Obstacles to rabies control identified through focus groups and in-depth interviews with stakeholders, government officials, non-government agents, and community residents include  insufficient motivation for disease reporting and development of a clear protocol for disease reporting by the public, lack of awareness in some areas of the importance of disease reporting exacerbated by logistical issues, uneven vaccination coverage due to insufficient communication regarding government vaccination campaigns, and incomplete implementation of government policies. Other issues included a need for more responsible dog ownership and better understanding of rabies disease risks amongst dog owners. Dog-associated factors included the need for improved understanding of drivers of variation in dog population size, for lower sterilization cost to owners, and for monitoring of post-surgical complications.An integrated national dog rabies monitoring and reporting system based on effective partnerships among relevant institutions plus additional decentralized dog rabies diagnosis laboratories plus additional local veterinary and medical government staff are needed

A participant-led programme for field veterinary training to identify bacteriological quality of milk from the farmer to the retail outlet

The training of field veterinarians in veterinary public health needs an in-depth understanding of the in-situ problems, social and economic barriers that prevent problem solving and a relevant pedagogical approach to suit the mature learner. A participatory approach is necessary to develop such training. A course designed on the principles of adult learning theory and utilizing the experience of the field veterinarian's local knowledge combined with the expertise of the training provider can be very effective. Forty-eight field veterinarians were trained using a collaborative, participatory approach to understand the issues in clean milk production in Sri Lanka. The veterinarians developed a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point-based decision framework to identify and evaluate the evidence of bacterial contamination points in the milk chain from the farm to the processing plant. Samples and swabs were collected for bacterial culture and results showed high bacterial counts that showed contamination of milk starting from the farm, through milk collection and chilling centers ending with 2 × 106–3 × 107 bacteria per ml of milk. Chemical and physical hazards were also identified. Lack of appropriate hygienic procedures, chilling at the farm and at the collection center, together with the delays at the chilling center was identified as main contributing factors for high bacterial counts. This problem-based training approach facilitated collaborative inquiry, experiential learning and critical analytical skills. The training enabled the veterinarians to understand the scale of the problem and how they can intervene directly and indirectly to ensure clean milk production in Sri Lanka

Colonial architecture in Uva province : a study of the historical background & architecture of selected colonial buildings in Uva Province with special reference to their influence

By the simplest definition architecture is the design of buildings, executed by architects. However, it is more, it is the expression of thought in building. It is not simply construction, the piling of stones or the spanning of spaces with grinders, it is the intelligent creation of forms and spaces that in them selves express an idea. The Architecture in Sri Lanka in it's development has been influenced by the occupation of colonial powers. Colonial invasion was a landmark in the country as well as in Sri Lanka Architecture. They had an impact on brought down traditions of the country. Nevertheless foreign architecture was influenced by the tradition. a number of colonial buildings of historical and architectural value can be found in the Uva province. From the ancient times people of the hill country were isolated from the rest of the country. this isolation had it's benefits and disadvantages by way of discouraging foreign influences both on social structure and the modes of the living people