Rajitha highlights Sri Lanka’s health achievements at 70th World Health Assembly in Geneva

Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne addressing the 70th World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting in Geneva on Tuesday (23 May) said that Sri Lanka had achieved much progress in healthcare delivery due to cost-efficient use of resources and the coordinated use of its well-ingrained primary, secondary and tertiary health care facilities.

The Minister who is leading the Sri Lanka delegation to the ongoing 70th World Health Assembly also updated the Assembly on the progressive action taken by the Government in combatting Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as introducing 80% pictorial warning on tobacco, increase of tobacco tax to 90%, and introduction of a ‘traffic light labelling system’ to control sugar in fizzy drinks. 

On communicable diseases, he highlighted Sri Lanka’s achievement of gaining WHO certification of Malaria elimination. He, however noted the recent epidemic challenges faced by the country on dengue and H1N1 and called for increased partnership in addressing those challenges. 

Earlier this week (21 May), Minister Senaratne also addressed the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting outlining Sri Lanka’s successes in the health sector which were commended by the Health Ministers present at the meeting. 

Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland praised Sri Lanka on its higher quality outcome achieved at a minimum cost, and indicated that this is a model that could be replicated across the Commonwealth. She made these remarks during a bilateral meeting with Minister Senaratne, and requested Sri Lanka to consider leading within the Commonwealth on digital health. 

To celebrate the success of WHO certification of elimination of malaria, Sri Lanka together with the Maldives and the Regional Office of the WHO in New Delhi organised a special event on 22 May on the sidelines of the 70th WHA in Geneva which was graced by Dr. Margeret Chan, the Director General of the WHO. 

The Minister also met with the World Bank Representatives to discuss potential cooperation in the areas of establishing additional accident and emergency care centres, design and implement the ‘family physician’ concept, and to expand the currently launched ‘Lifestyle Health Centres’ throughout the country.

Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, Dr. P. Sathyalingam – Provincial Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine of Northern Province, and other senior officials of the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and the staff of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Geneva were associated with the Minister during these meetings.