Dr Anoja Dheerasinghe

Dr. Anoja Dheerasinghe is a public health expert in dengue prevention and control in Sri Lanka, with over 25 years of experience leading national strategies and strengthening surveillance and response systems for diseases of public health importance. She currently serves as a Medical Specialist in Public Health and Consultant Community Physician at the National Dengue Control Unit, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka.

She obtained her MBBS from the University of Kelaniya and completed a Master’s degree and Doctor of Medicine (MD) in Community Medicine at the University of Colombo. She also holds a Master’s degree in Medical Entomology and Applied Parasitology from the Open University of Sri Lanka and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Global Health at the University of Milan, Italy.

Dr Dheerasinghe has been a member of the World Health Organization Technical Advisory Group on Arboviruses since December 2021. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Consultant Epidemiologist in the Epidemiology Unit of the Western Province of Sri Lanka and contributed to the Anti-Malaria Campaign during the country’s malaria pre-elimination phase, as well as to several other public health institutions within the Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka.

She has authored peer-reviewed publications and contributed a book chapter on dengue in Springer’s Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Disaster Risks. She has also contributed to the World Health Organization publication, Dengue Case Management for Primary Health Care and Home-Based Care: Booklet for Health Professionals and Health-Care Workers.