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The Deadly Delta Wave Must Be Overcome For The Vaccine Program To Succeed Prof. Tissa Vitarana
It is with great sorrow that I write this article due to the sudden death of my friend Suresh Perera, News Editor of the Sunday Island. He was a victim of the present wave of the deadly Covid19 Delta virus which is sweeping to all parts of Sri Lanka, and the world. He was 59 years of age and at the height of his career. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife, daughter and the rest of his family and colleagues who are in a state of shock after his sudden death. Like many Sri Lankans he took little care about his safety, and had he exercised more care he would still have been with us. But the same can be said of all the other thousands who have died and are yet to die from the Delta virus.
Those who died and the many seriously ill patients who have taken up every available Intensive care unit (ICU) bed in the hospitals, and have filled the other beds, and are even forced to sleep under them were all careless. Why? Because the fact that the health rules were for their own safety had not been instilled into their minds. They treated them as Government regulations that had to be observed. On TV we have seen jostling crowds of people all wearing the masks below the chin, and immediately a policeman is sighted they cover the nose as well. A new mindset has to be developed nation wide, with a new behavior pattern, if we are to survive.
An important solution is getting immunized through vaccination. The Government, with the President and PM giving the lead, have done well to procure a maximum amount of vaccines from abroad, in the face of a heavy demand worldwide. The health and military personnel have expended their energies and done a great number of vaccinations. Unfortunately there does not appear to be a good plan and the population groups selected do not conform to any thought out risk- based priority list. There are still a significant number of over 60s to be vaccinated. The same for those with relevant co-morbidities e.g. diabetes, heart and lung disease etc. Outside this vulnerable group, there should be ‘a drop according to age’ selection process giving preference to those working in crowded locations e.g. garment factories etc.
But a problem is that both immunity after infection and after vaccination appears to be low , six months to one year. So that repeated boosters at least once a year may be required, a costly exercise. If I may suggest why not start our own Covid 19 vaccine production factory. It can save forex and also earn it. The use of mRNA vaccines ( like Pfizer and Moderna) is better avoided, as they are gene material which has not been used in the preparation of vaccine ever before. The European Union has banned the import of GM foods as they contain added or modified genetic material. That is food which gets processed in the bowel, but in the case of a vaccine there is direct injection into our tissues. Finally recipients of vaccines must be made aware of the delay in developing protection till about two weeks after the second dose.
They must not lower their guard even after that because of the large number of infected people in society and the relatively short period of immunity. The danger of more virulent and infectious variants can arise at any time and cause problems when immunity is dropping. Everyone must take the vaccine as it helps to build up herd immunity, so that with time resistance in the community to new variants will keep on increasing. But the vaccine defence of the community takes time.
But a short term solution is required for the present Delta pandemic tragedy which is going to lead to more and more severe cases with no ICU facilities available, more deaths and suffering for the people of Sri Lanka. If we have a spark of humanity left in us we must act positively to end transmission of the virus, as far as possible. At this moment the most effective action would be a LOCKDOWN for two weeks. Depending on how well this is done it will be at least be a partial success reducing the number of cases and deaths. Every day that we delay more the deaths.
The only time I met the Health Minister about seven months ago at the Health Advisory Committee I said that the virus is no longer in containable clusters. It is spreading in the community to several people mainly in the Western Province, from one unknown person to another. No traceable connections have been found. It is now a case of community spread. The two main points I made were (1) to set up a Covid Committee of Party leaders in Parliament that could interact with the Minister. They too can get to know your plans and progress. With their input it becomes a national campaign. This can be extended down to village and slum level. This Clovid committee at village level will ensure that everyone observes the four health regulations. The whole village will have to be educated on why the observance of those rules will protect each one. There are many asymptomatic cases. They will not be able to infect the others. Transmission should stop if effective. The virus will have no access to the live cells of the human respiratory tract where it takes over each cell and gets it to produce thousands of viral replicas. When that stops the virus which is unable to multiply on its own will just die out.
(2) the village Clovid Committee will besides health education and enforcement of the health rules, will spot likely cases as soon as they arise and get them seen by a doctor and PCR tested.
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Action beyond dialogue is essential in addressing Green Financing and climate change. – Prime Minister
There have been numerous discussions and dialogues successfully conducted across various sectors, but it is now crucial to move beyond conversation and focus on strengthening the implementation. Such collaborative effort like GGGI initiates in leading Sri Lanka towards a resilient and sustainable finance.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while attending the Sri Lanka climate finance awareness session on advancing sustainable finance and carbon markets for climate action held today (30) at hotel Marriott Bonvoy in Colombo City Center.
The awareness session was organized by the Prime Minister’s Office with the collaboration of the ministry of Environment and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to create awareness of Green finance strategies leading to new initiatives for sustainable Sri Lanka.
Delivering the keynote address, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that this session is intended to support the line ministries in better understanding how these financing mechanisms work and how they could be leveraged to implement the sustainable development priorities.
Addressing the event, the Prime Minister further stated:
“Sri Lanka has developed and updated numerous environmental frameworks to address the growing challenge of climate change, that has become the current development challenge that continues to affect lives, livelihoods, and our overall trajectory as a nation.
In Sri Lanka, key sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, energy, tourism, and water are increasingly exposed to climate-related disruptions, threatening both livelihoods and macroeconomic stability. To prevent this trajectory, we must leverage a full spectrum of international climate finance instruments.
Sri Lanka has a solid policy foundation, political will, and the institutional capacity to lead on climate action. What we now need is the financial architecture to match this ambition. Hence, today’s session represents a step toward building shared awareness and technical capacity across the public sector”.
The Prime Minister emphasized that while numerous discussions and dialogues have been successfully conducted across various sectors, it is now crucial to move beyond conversation and focus on concrete implementation highlighting that meaningful results can only be achieved when ideas and plans are translated into action, and urged all stakeholders and officers to prioritize execution to bring about the positive changes the country needs.
The event was attended by secretary to the Prime Minister, G. P. Saputhanthri, representatives from the central bank, representatives of Ministries and GGGI institute.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that there is a contemporary need to develop the Pirivena and Bhikkhu education and that the government is seeking the revered guidance of Maha Sangha in that cause.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing the 125th anniversary celebrations of the Amarapura Ariyavansa Saddhamma Yukthika Nikaya on Tuesday (29) at the Sri Subodhi Rajarama Mulasthana Maha Vihara in Bombuwala, Kalutara.
During the event, the Prime Minister honored sixty-three venerable members of the Maha Sangha who had rendered their noble service to the Sasana and also conferred awards upon several distinguished lay benefactors in recognition of their contributions.
Delivering the keynote speech, the Prime Minister stated:
“There has always been a strong bond between Buddhism and society throughout history. Culture and social relations have been built alongside the Buddhist philosophy. The society we seek to establish as a nation must embody the Buddhist values of fairness, equality, and compassion. These virtues, as taught in the Buddhist philosophy, are ever relevant and alive.
Piriven and Bhikkhu education are currently facing numerous challenges, and considerable efforts are needed to address them. Thereby a substantial and concerted intervention is required.
A pertinent question arises as whether our Pirivena institutions are adequately preparing for the evolving needs of the world? There was once a belief in Europe that, with scientific advancement, religion would become redundant. Today, this view has been discredited. Along with material progress, spiritual development remains indispensable.
The knowledge, attitudes, and skills of our Bhikkhus must be enhanced to meet the emerging global challenges. A profound discussion on necessary reforms in Piriven and Bhikkhu education is therefore imperative.
Opportunities for Bhikkhus to study subjects such as mathematics, science, and modern languages are currently limited. Without exposure to contemporary disciplines, it is questionable whether one can successfully confront present-day challenges”.
The event, held under the patronage of the Venerable Egodamulle Amaramoli Mahanayake Thera, the Chief incumbent of the Amarapura Ariyavansa Saddhamma Yukthika Nikaya, was attended by members of the Maha Sangha, Minister of Mass Media and Health Mr. Nalinda Jayatissa, several Members of Parliament, and numerous lay devotees.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
Under the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme, plans are underway to launch a 1,000-acre forest plantation project in collaboration with the private sector. This large-scale initiative is designed to operate under the Public-Private-People Partnership (4P) concept and a preliminary discussion on the project was held today (30) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The discussion focused on resolving technical aspects associated with the project and addressing the fundamental issues necessary for the land release.
The programme aims to implement several effective environmental projects in the coming year with the active participation of the private sector. These efforts are intended to safeguard the country’s biodiversity, forest cover and natural ecosystems, while also reinforcing the shared responsibility of the public, government and private sector in environmental conservation.
The discussion was chaired by Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponsu and Additional Secretary of the Clean Sri Lanka Programme S.P.C. Sugeeshwara, with the participation of senior officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation and Environment
Action beyond dialogue is essential in addressing Green Financing and climate change. – Prime Minister
Pirivena and Bhikkhu education must be developed – PM
1,000-acre forest plantation project to be launched under “Clean Sri Lanka” programme
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