Dr. Kapila Jayaratne

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne is a Senior Lecturer in Community Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. He is a specialist in Community Medicine with over 25 years of experience in medical practice and public health.

Dr. Jayaratne graduated from the University of Colombo in 1995 with an MBBS degree. He obtained his MSc in Community Medicine in 2004 and MD in Community Medicine in 2007, both from the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo. He further completed a Diploma in Child Health (DCH) in 2007. In 2008, Dr. Jayaratne pursued post-doctoral training at the University of Melbourne, Australia, focusing on health program evaluation, health economics, and child health data systems.

Prior to his full-time academic appointment, he held the position of National Program Manager for Maternal and Child Morbidity and Mortality Surveillance at the Family Health Bureau, Ministry of Health – Sri Lanka, where he provided leadership in establishing national surveillance systems for maternal deaths, child deaths, birth defects, and perinatal deaths. Dr. Jayaratne was instrumental in designing and implementing evidence-based program evaluations and policies in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank, and other global health agencies.

Dr. Jayaratne’s research interests include maternal and child health, birth defects prevention and care, public health program evaluation, health system strengthening, and ergonomics in educational environments. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to multiple WHO global reports and guidelines. His work has been cited nearly 4000 times, reflecting a significant impact on global health research.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Dr. Jayaratne has been conferred Honorary Fellowships from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (UK), College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, and the Perinatal Society of Sri Lanka. He has also received multiple President’s Awards for Scientific Publications and international accolades including the Donald Court Visiting Fellowship from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (UK).

As an academic, Dr. Jayaratne plays a pivotal role in postgraduate education, serving as a chief examiner, module coordinator, and supervisor for MSc, MD, and PhD candidates at Postgraduate Institute of University of Colombo. He has also led numerous capacity-building initiatives for health professionals in Sri Lanka and the South Asian region.