Sri Lanka established the first maternity hospital in 1879, making it the second maternity hospital in South Asia. Since then, Sri Lanka has come a very long way. 

With 2,100 mothers dying per 100,000 live births at the time, today this number has been brought down drastically to 39.3, which is a result of continuous investments and policy-level engagements in advancing maternal healthcare in Sri Lanka. 

In 1969, UNFPA was established globally, followed by its presence in Sri Lanka in 1973. With continuous support to the Government  of Sri Lanka, the country has achieved remarkable progress, boasting the best indicators for maternal healthcare in the region, today.