The North Central Province is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. With a population of 1.3 million, it is the second least populated province in the country. Local languages spoken are Sinhalese and Tamil. Almost 90% of the population is Buddhist. The provincial capital, Anuradhapura, is considered to be one of the most sacred cities in Sri Lanka, with many places of Buddhist worship being located in this area. The beginnings of the ancient city dates all the way back to prehistoric times, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
CL is an emerging public health issue in Sri Lanka. The first locally acquired case was reported in 1992. Since then, there has been a major increase in new cases, particularly in the north of the island. There is believed to be little awareness of the condition in these new endemic regions which are mainly rural and agricultural. The three ECLIPSE hubs are located in rural villages where paddy farming is the main economic activity.
