Mapping Key Populations for HIV Prevention in Sri Lanka

Although classified as a middle- income country, with a population of almost 20 million, Sri Lanka has achieved remarkable social and health indicators, some of which are at par with those of developed nations. Sri Lanka is classified as a country with a low level epidemic of HIV in the Southeast Asia region, with an estimated HIV prevalence of less than 0.1% among adults (15-49 years).

Almost three decades since the detection of the first HIV infection in Sri Lanka, a cumulative total of 1,196 HIV infections have been reported to the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP) as of December 2009, out of which 326 have been reported as AIDS, and 202 individuals have been reported to have succumbed to the illness. Over the years a slow but gradual increase in the number of reported cases has been observed, in part due to the increase in testing facilities and availability of antiretroviral therapy, which has encouraged more people to come forward for HIV testing.