Routine H399 (Weekly Return of Communicable Diseases) based disease surveillance system has been the driving hub for Sri Lankan communicable disease surveillance system for the last few decades. It has been evolved over many years and proven that it can be adopted to ever changing epidemiology of communicable diseases in the country.

To give the information technology touch, a complementary web based software application has been developed and named as Nivarana (www.nivarana.lk) based on the same principles of paper based disease surveillance system while taking steps to improve the quality and timeliness of data. The Epidemiology Unit hopes to replace the paper based system with this system when it is implemented throughout the country.

Prior to launch of this application, it has been demonstrated before the Hon. Minister of Health, Director General of Health Services and other high ranking ministry, provincial and regional health officials at the recently concluded HDC meeting held on 23rd June 2011