Sri Lanka’s inequalities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, the brunt of which was faced by the most vulnerable communities across Sri Lanka, exposed the structural inequalities and challenges faced by the country. Despite Sri Lanka having one of the best public health care systems in Asia, which was able to respond to, and manage the health challenges during the early part of the pandemic, inequalities appeared in many other spheres, particularly for vulnerable communities. Sri Lanka’s social protection programs proved to be inadequate in the face of existing and new challenges with many sections of society dependent on assistance to meet basic needs. This article points to some of the structural inequalities exposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need for a comprehensive review of social protection programs so that urgent reforms and new initiatives that address the hardships faced by vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka can be established.