The health burden related to liver diseases among children is often overlooked; however, it results in significant morbidity and mortality. The disease conditions causing cirrhosis in young children are primarily unpreventable as they are often due to biliary atresia, genetic and metabolic causes. Nevertheless, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic associated liver diseases (MAFLD) are also rising, especially among adolescents. Most of these liver diseases are not medically curable, hence need liver transplant as the ultimate cure.

Due to the unavailability of liver transplant services for children in Sri Lanka, the parents of these children had to travel overseas. Since the cost is highly unaffordable (nearly 8 - 10 million), poor parents had to suffer silently when they witnessed the death of their loved little ones.   

Colombo North Centre for Liver Diseases commenced a paediatric hepatology and liver transplant programme since July 2020 and now offer their services to these children and families, free of charge. Nevertheless, infrastructure for this complex surgery and post-operative care is still far behind the standards. Thus, the team has currently embarked on ‘REVIVE project’ to build a well-equipped liver transplant centre.

The clinical services provided by the team are listed below.

Apart from that, we pursue an active role in research related paediatric liver diseases and transplant unveiling the true disease burden of the country.

CNCLD wishes to offer training opportunities for national and international trainees in paediatric hepatology and transplant.

• Neonatal and infantile cholestasis
• Biliary atresia
• Genetic and metabolic liver disease eg: Alagille syndrome, PFIC, Glycogen storage disease, Wilson disease, etc
• Autoimmune liver diseases
• Drug-induced liver disease
• Paediatric malignancies with liver disease eg: Hepatoblastoma, Langerhan cell histiocytosis, hepatocellular carcinoma
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease