1934-35 malaria outbreak in Ceylon

The Malaria Epidemic of 1934-1935 was one of the largest Malaria epidemic Sri Lanka had experienced. Epidemic had a major impact on Ceylon with 1.5 million people of a population of 5.5 million effected and 80,000 excess deaths over a 7-month period. The epidemic was primarily triggered by a drought that led to the failure of the monsoon rains, which in turn caused a severe rice famine and weakened the population. It was the first major crisis of the newly elected State Council of Ceylon.