Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa will lead Sri Lanka’s delegation to the 79th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia, which will be held in Dili, Timor-Leste, from September 7 to 10.
The meeting will bring together health ministers and senior health officials from the 10 Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region, as well as senior WHO officials and other delegates. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is also scheduled to attend.
The session has added significance for Sri Lanka, as Dr. Jayatissa will continue as Chairperson of the Regional Committee until a successor is elected, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. He was elected to the position at the Committee’s previous session in Colombo in 2025.
The Committee will elect new office-bearers when the session opens tomorrow and will also consider a range of regional health and governance issues.
A key focus of this year’s meeting will be strengthening the health workforce to improve equitable access to specialised healthcare. Discussions will cover workforce development, universal health coverage, digital health and the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Delegates will also consider measures to strengthen the resilience of health facilities, advance disease-elimination programmes and accelerate efforts to end tuberculosis, the Health Ministry noted.
The meeting is expected to consider the adoption of the Dili Declaration on equitable access to specialised care.
Sri Lanka is expected to present its experience in providing free healthcare and proposals aimed at strengthening health systems and regional cooperation.
Minister Jayatissa is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with several foreign health ministers and senior officials on the sidelines of the meeting.
His is scheduled to meet Maldivian Minister of Health, Family and Welfare Geela Ali, Indian Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda, and Bangladeshi Minister of Health and Family Welfare Sardar M. Sakhawat Hossain tomorrow.
On Tuesday, he is expected to meet Bhutanese Health Minister Lyonpo Tandin Wangchuk and a delegation that includes Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Adviser to the Prime Minister of Qatar for State Affairs.
He is also scheduled to meet Indonesian Health Minister Budi G. Sadikin and David Jordens, Belgium’s newly appointed Ambassador to Timor-Leste.
A separate meeting between Minister Jayatissa and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros is also scheduled during the session.
The Sri Lankan delegation includes the Secretary to the Ministry of Health Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Deputy Director-General of Health Services (Planning) Dr. S. Sridharan, Deputy Director-General of Health Services (Public Health Services) Dr. S. M. Arnold, Senior Professor of Genetics and Biomedical Informatics Vajira H. W. Dissanayake, and Health Ministry Director (Planning) Dr. Janaki Vidanapathirana.
The four-day meeting will provide a platform for the region’s Member States to agree on health policies and priorities, with particular emphasis on building more equitable, accessible and resilient health systems.
