The inaugural BIMSTEC Senior Officials’ Meeting on Health commenced in Colombo this morning (10), as part of preparations for the first BIMSTEC Health Ministers’ Meeting, marking a step towards strengthening regional cooperation in the health sector.
Health Secretaries and senior officials representing all seven BIMSTEC member states — Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Thailand — are participating in the meeting.
Discussions are focusing on identifying common regional health challenges, strengthening collective responses and facilitating the exchange of technical expertise among member states.
Key areas under discussion include the prevention and control of communicable diseases and pandemics, preparedness and response to public health emergencies, strengthening disease surveillance systems and enhancing the resilience of healthcare systems.
The agenda also covers antimicrobial resistance, digital healthcare, medical research, the health impacts of climate change, the One Health approach, which recognises the interconnection between human and animal health, and the promotion of traditional medicine.
The meeting commenced under the guidance of BIMSTEC Secretary-General Indra Mani Pandey, with the chairmanship handed over to Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health and Mass Media.
Senior Sri Lankan officials attending the meeting included Additional Secretaries to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Kumara Wickramasinghe and Dr. Mahendra Arnold, along with other senior representatives.
The technical and policy-level agreements reached during the meeting are expected to play an important role in strengthening regional health security, particularly in addressing cross-border health threats and risks arising from the geographical interconnectedness of BIMSTEC member states.
