Dr Jayanthi Jayawardena (Sri Lanka)

Dr Jayanthi Jayawardena is a Consultant Cardiologist at The Central Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka; serves at the Sri Lanka Army Hospital, Colombo; Sri Lanka Air Force Hospital, Colombo and is the panel consultant at the Civil Aviation Authority in Sri Lanka.

She retired from the Ministry of Health after 25 years of service as a Consultant Cardiologist at the Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Galle; General Hospital, Kandy and the National Hospital, Colombo.

She was Chairperson of the NCD expert committee of the Sri Lanka Medical Association in 2013-2015 and 2018 onwards, where she played the key role in banning cigarettes at duty free shops at the arrival lounge of airports and also banning e-cigarettes. Currently along with other stakeholders, she is involved in standardising coconut oil, scrutinising cooking oils and regularising routine health checks. She is the resource person in developing guidelines for the Management of NCD in Primary Care, Management of Hypertension in Primary Care and Lipid Guidelines for Primary Care.

Dr Jayawardena was also a council member of the Sri Lanka Heart Association from 2010-2017, the Zonal Vice President of Asia Pacific Society of Cardiology from 2015-2017 and Board Member of the Asia Pacific Heart Network from 2010-2016.