PROJECT

In response to the aim, a study on social costs of tobacco and/or alcohol in Sri Lanka is launched as a country demonstration project for HITA capacity development through hands-on experience. In the South-East Asian region, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been the most frequent cause of death. It also accounted for 65% of death in Sri Lanka in 2008. Among that, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major illness causing NCD deaths. The health spending on CVDs exceeded 5 billion Sri Lankan Rupees in 2006. Additionally, the number of patients with smoking-related diseases is increasing in Sri Lanka. One of the challenges in conducting HITA in Sri Lanka is limited clinical evidences since the evidences are majorly available in more developed countries. Thailand also faced the same problem. To overcome this problem, adopting the data from relevant studies from other countries should be considered. As such, WHO SEARO commissioned the HITAP International Unit (HIU) to provide technical assistance in conducting an economic evaluation of the social costs of tobacco and alcohol in Sri Lanka.