Aging Studies | Faculty of Graduate Studies

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The Centre for Aging Studies, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo, was established in February 2019 with a commitment to multidisciplinary research, teaching, training, policy dialogue, and advocacy in the fields of Social Sciences , Sciences and related disciplines, with a particular focus on demography, health studies, population studies, and aging studies.

Since its inception, the Centre has actively collaborated with a wide range of local partners, including the Elderly Secretariat, the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, and the Department of Census and Statistics and HelpAge Sri Lanka, as well as international partners such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and HelpAge International.

Sri Lanka is experiencing a significant demographic transition as the fastest-ageing country in South Asia. In response to the emerging challenges associated with population aging, the Centre for Aging Studies serves as a multidisciplinary platform that supports evidence-based research, policy development, and practice across healthcare, social protection, and community sectors. Through collaboration with national and international stakeholders, the Centre contributes to capacity building through academic programmes, professional training, and public awareness initiatives aimed at promoting healthy and productive ageing.

Research Activities

● World Health Survey Plus (WHS+) – Sri Lanka

Project Overview:
The Centre for Ageing Studies (CFAS) is proud to announce its participation in a landmark global initiative: the World Health Survey Plus (WHS+). As the World Health Organization’s (WHO) flagship household survey programme, the WHS+ is designed to generate high-quality, representative data to address the evolving needs of health programming, policy-making, and analysis worldwide.

Building on the WHO’s extensive experience in conducting household surveys in over 101 countries, this initiative aims to strengthen national health data systems and provide a robust evidence base for public health decision-making.

Objectives and Scope

The primary objective of the WHS+ in Sri Lanka is to facilitate a multi-mode data collection system that empowers the nation to monitor progress toward critical population health targets.

Key goals of the project include:

❖ Data Generation: Producing vital, representative data that aligns with current health priorities.
❖ System Enhancement: Strengthening the capacity of household survey systems within Sri Lanka.
❖ Global Benchmarking: enabling the monitoring of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the WHO’s strategic impact framework.

Research Project on Situation of Older Person in Sri Lanka – 2023

Sri Lanka is experiencing one of the fastest ageing population trends in South Asia. By 2030, one in five Sri Lankans will be aged 60 years or above. This rapid demographic shift is driven by declining birth rates, rising life expectancy, and improved healthcare.

Older persons in Sri Lanka face growing challenges related to health, income security, mobility, and daily functioning especially among the oldest-old and women. Despite these difficulties, many elders report life satisfaction, supported by family and community networks.

This study provides evidence-based insights into the realities of ageing in Sri Lanka and highlights the urgent need for age-responsive policies, stronger health and social care systems, and inclusive support for older persons.

Objectives

The objective of this study is to investigate the situation of older persons including challenges, and gaps, and provide recommendations. The specific objectives are as follows:

❖ To identify the demographic, health, and socio-economic profile of older people.
❖ To examine the demographic, socio-economic, and health challenges of older people.
❖ To examine the policy responses that are implemented in the country for older people.
❖ To examine the services available for older people.
❖ To examine awareness of rights of the older people and whether the legislation is in place.
❖ To distinguish the gaps that need to be addressed to improve the lives of older people.
❖ To deliver recommendations to uplift the lives of older people.

National Survey of Elders’ Homes: Identifying Issues and Needs of Existing Elders’ Homes in Sri Lanka- 2019

Aims and Objectives
The aim of this project is to analyze and report the current situation of 306 elders’ homes by capturing the situations of care delivered by these elders’ homes institutions and assessing the quality of life of elderly living in old age homes and then propose a suitable model for elderly homes and/ or community solutions to elderly care in order to maintain dignity of ageing.

The objectives are therefore as follows:

❖ To study the conditions of existing elders’ homes such as infrastructure, health facilities, sanitary facilities, food and nutrition condition etc. which usually differ by institution to institution, in order to develop strategies to address future challenges.

❖ To collect all data to assess the current states of existing elders’ homes in Sri Lanka to develop a proper method to maintain a data base
❖To provide necessary information to government policy making bodies for the improvement of services for elderly population in Sri Lanka

The specific objectives are as follows:

❖ To develop a data base for existing elderly homes
❖ To propose how the current situations of the elders’ homes can be improved
❖ To prepare guidelines for establishing and maintaining elders’ homes

This was done by addressing the following questions:

❖ Where should an Old Age Home be located?
❖ How should an Old Age Home be designed?
❖ Who are the people required to work in an Old Age Home?
❖ What are the requirements for medical care in such an institution?
❖ What could be the participation of the residents in the running of the home?