Health and Mass Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa is set to leave Sri Lanka on Sept. 6, leading the country’s delegation to the 79th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Dili, Timor-Leste.
The four-day session will be held from Sept. 7 to 10, with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attending alongside health ministers, senior health officials and delegates from member states.
Jayatissa currently serves as chairperson of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee after being elected to the position at its 78th session in Colombo in 2025. He will remain chairperson until his successor is elected when the committee meets in Dili.
The Sri Lankan delegation includes Health Ministry Secretary Anil Jasinghe, Deputy Director-General of Health Services (Planning) S. Sridharan, Deputy Director-General of Health Services (Public Health Services) S. M. Arnold, Senior Professor Vajira H. W. Dissanayake and Health Ministry Director (Planning) Janaki Vidanapathirana.
This year’s meeting will focus on strengthening the health workforce and ensuring equitable access to specialized care. Discussions will also cover universal health coverage, digital health, artificial intelligence, resilient health facilities, disease elimination and efforts to end tuberculosis.
The committee is also expected to consider adopting the Dili Declaration on equitable access to specialized care. Sri Lanka will share its experience and proposals for strengthening the country’s free healthcare service and regional health cooperation.
During the visit, Jayatissa is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with health ministers and senior representatives from several countries, including India, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia and Qatar. He is also scheduled to meet WHO Director-General Tedros separately. (Newswire)