President Chief Guest at opening of Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health

The Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health was launched in London on Friday with President Maithripala Sirisena functioning as the Chief Guest at the event.

The launch is part of a special side event to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 on ‘Global Health Security & the Digital Health Society 2030 – Innovation & Investment for One Planetary Health & Universal Health Coverage’.

The Centre was proposed by Prof. Vajira Dissanayake of the University of Colombo in 2016 and incorporated into a Commonwealth Policy Brief on Digital Systems for One Health approved by the Commonwealth Health Ministers in Geneva in May 2017.

The keynote speaker at the event was Dr. Christopher Fearne, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister of Malta.

Prof. Dissanayake has been appointed the Chairman of the Centre.

Issuing a special message at the occasion, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated: “As you know, Universal Health Coverage is WHO’s top priority. Our aim is a world in which all people receive the high-quality health services they need without suffering financial hardship.”

The Commonwealth of Nations Secretary General Patricia Scotland QC stated: “Digital health systems are an increasingly important component in the delivery of health services and care.”