On 10th July 2026, NIHS Kalutara marked a truly historic milestone — 100 years since the birth of Sri Lanka’s Health Unit system, right here in Kalutara!

It all began on 1st July 1926, when the Rockefeller Foundation helped establish the very first health unit in Asia in Kalutara — the birthplace of preventive healthcare in Sri Lanka. From that single unit grew the Institute of Hygiene (1966), and later the National Institute of Health Sciences (1979) — the institution that has trained generations of Public Health Inspectors, Public Health Midwives, Public Health Nursing Sisters, and countless frontline health heroes who form the very backbone of our nation’s health system.

To celebrate a century of this incredible legacy, we hosted a Commemorative Health Walk from the Kalutara Municipal Council to the NIHS Kalutara premises, joined by staff, students, alumni, Ministry of Health officials, Kalutara Municipal Council representatives, and members of the public — all coming together to spread vital public health messages along the route and celebrate 100 years of shaping community health across Sri Lanka.

We were honored to have the Honorable Minister of Health join us as Chief Guest for this landmark occasion.

Thank you to everyone who walked with us — staff, students, alumni, officials, and the wonderful Kalutara community — for making this centenary celebration truly memorable!

Here’s to the next 100 years of building a healthier nation, one community at a time.