The Ministry of Health and Mass Media, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), conducted a stakeholder consultation and global health diplomacy workshop in Colombo to strengthen Sri Lanka’s engagement in regional and global health governance processes ahead of the Seventy-ninth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia (RC79).
The workshop formed part of WHO’s ongoing support to the Ministry of Health to enhance national capacity for effective participation in international health forums. Each year, WHO supports two dedicated programmes for national health leaders and technical experts: one ahead of the World Health Assembly and another before the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia. In May 2026, a similar workshop supported Sri Lanka’s preparations for the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly, helping participants strengthen their understanding of global health processes, policy negotiations and strategic engagement.
Last week’s workshop brought together senior officials of the Ministry of Health, technical programme managers, public health professionals and WHO experts. Through interactive sessions and technical exchanges, participants reviewed regional health priorities, strengthened their understanding of WHO governance mechanisms, and discussed how Sri Lanka can contribute to evidence-informed regional policy dialogue while advancing national health priorities.
Global health diplomacy is increasingly important as countries respond to health challenges that extend beyond national borders, including pandemic preparedness, health workforce development, digital transformation, access to quality-assured medical products and equitable delivery of essential health services. The workshop therefore focused on the role of regional and global decision-making platforms in supporting collective action and shared progress across countries.
Dr Momoe Takeuchi, Acting WHO Representative to Sri Lanka and Team Lead for Health Systems, briefed participants on RC79, to be held in Dili, Timor-Leste, from 7 to 10 September 2026. She outlined WHO’s governance structure, the purpose and functioning of the Regional Committee, and the provisional programme and agenda items to be discussed by Member States at RC79.
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Participants also engaged with regional WHO experts on two initiatives linked to Sri Lanka’s leadership in the Region. Dr Karthik Adapa, Regional Adviser for Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, presented the proposed South-East Asia Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Collaborative Network (SEA-DAC). The Member State-led platform aims to promote regional cooperation on digital health, data governance and artificial intelligence through knowledge exchange, capacity building and country-led collaboration.
Mr Adrien Inoubli, Unit Head for Medical Products Quality and Regulation, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, introduced the South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN), which brings together national regulatory authorities to strengthen collaboration in medical product regulation. SEARN supports information sharing, regulatory convergence, vigilance and capacity building, contributing to improved access to quality-assured medical products. Sri Lanka is expected to host a side meeting on 10 years of SEARN during RC79.
The workshop also provided a platform to review Sri Lanka’s progress on selected regional resolutions and decisions. Programme managers from Ministry of Health shared updates on implementation related to primary health care, non-communicable diseases including mental health, maternal and child health, HIV prevention, nutrition and emergency preparedness. These discussions helped identify achievements, challenges and key messages to inform Sri Lanka’s engagement at RC79.
WHO remains committed to supporting Sri Lanka to strengthen health diplomacy capacities, promote evidence-informed policy dialogue and enhance engagement in regional and global health governance. As countries work together to address increasingly complex public health challenges, effective participation in regional decision-making processes remains essential to advancing health for all and accelerating progress towards Universal Health Coverage. The consultation reaffirmed the importance of collaboration, knowledge sharing and strategic engagement in shaping the future health agenda of the South-East Asia Region, while ensuring that national priorities continue to inform regional action and collective progress.