Sri Lanka and Thailand deepen bilateral ties in public health cooperation

Thursday, 3 July 2025 04:52 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

On 27 June, Health Deputy Minister Hansaka Wijemuni held a bilateral meeting with Thai Public Health Deputy Minister Dej-is Khaothong on the sidelines of the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific.

The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration in the field of public health and addressing shared health priorities of mutual interest to both countries and the region. Health Ministry Additional Secretary – Public Health Services Lakshmi Somatunga and officials from the Sri Lanka Embassy in Bangkok also participated in the meeting.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of enhancing bilateral engagement to promote closer cooperation in public health. Discussions centred on expanding collaboration in key areas, including physician training programs, Government pharmaceutical procurement, food and drug safety mechanisms, universal health coverage, and the development of medical tourism.

The Sri Lankan side also highlighted interest in exploring best practices and policy experiences from Thailand to inform national health reforms.

Deputy Minister Wijemuni emphasised the need for stronger institutional partnerships and welcomed opportunities for technical cooperation, capacity building, and knowledge-sharing, particularly in the development of a resilient and inclusive public health system in Sri Lanka.

In response, Thai Deputy Minister Dej-is Khaothong conveyed Thailand’s readiness to deepen bilateral cooperation and extended support to Sri Lanka in areas of shared interest. He also underlined the significance of bilateral mechanisms in complementing existing multilateral frameworks, such as those under the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). He further noted that the formalisation of cooperation through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on health would represent an important step forward in institutionalising long-term collaboration between the two Ministries.

This high-level engagement reflects the longstanding and friendly relations between Sri Lanka and Thailand, and reaffirmed both countries’ shared commitment to enhancing cooperation in the health sector. The meeting concluded with both sides expressing their intention to sustain momentum and explore concrete avenues for continued partnership in the years ahead.

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