The official account of the World Health Organization in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Joined December 2017
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WHO Sri Lanka retweeted
Wonderful to commemorate #UNDay at the @UNSriLanka compound in Colombo with all UN colleagues, and to honour those who completed 25 years of service this year.
A quarter century of service to the UN and the people we serve. 🇺🇳🇱🇰 Thank you for your dedication!
As Sri Lanka wrapped up its UHPR High-Level Mission last week, the focus shifted firmly to what comes next 🇱🇰➡️🌐
Day 2️⃣ looked ahead to the public health capabilities Sri Lanka will need for the future, with a key focus on the proposed Sri Lanka Centre for Disease Control and the structures, functions and partnerships needed for its establishment and operationalisation.
👥 Drawing on national expertise and perspectives from WHO and international peers, the mission also refined priority recommendations and built consensus around Sri Lanka’s next steps, including regional and global peer review.
‼️ What matters now is national ownership, ensuring the priorities shaped through UHPR continue to inform Sri Lanka’s health security agenda well beyond the mission ✅
#UHPR #HealthSecurity #HealthEmergencies #SriLanka
WHO Sri Lanka retweeted
The UN has weathered difficult moments before. Today, it faces unprecedented challenges.
In @TimesOnlineLK, UN Resident Coordinator @MAFrancheUN reflects on what's at stake and why he still sees real reasons for hope.
Read the op-ed here: bit.ly/3WLSqio
🔎 How do you look for a disease that has not been seen in Sri Lanka for decades?
Through acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance ➡️ Sudden loss of muscle tone in anyone under 15 is a signal that must be reported and investigated, alongside any clinically suspected polio case ‼️
AFP surveillance remains one of the essential functions used to monitor polio-free status and detect potential poliovirus risks ✅
📖 Learn more on the WHO Global guidance for AFP surveillance: who.int/publications/b/58135
#WorldPolioDay #EndPolio #VaccinesWork #SriLanka
WHO Sri Lanka retweeted
We are delighted to announce Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav, World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative to Sri Lanka, as a distinguished Plenary Speaker at the University of Colombo International Conference 2026 (UCIC 2026).
More Information: cmb.ac.lk/ucic-2026
#UCIC2026
Safe care for children starts with informed and involved families 💙
✅ Keep track of symptoms, medicines, appointments and immunisation schedules
✅ Ask questions and stay informed
✅ Speak up if something doesn’t feel right
Small actions like these can help parents and caregivers play an active role in their child’s care 👧🏽👶🏽
#SafeCare #SriLanka
Keeping Sri Lanka polio-free starts with every child being protected 🛡️
While there is no cure for polio, it can be prevented through vaccination ➡️ The polio vaccine💉, given accordingly to the recommended schedule, provide long-lasting protection against polio.
This #WorldPolioDay, check your child’s immunisation schedule and make sure every recommended dose is up to date 📆
Every child protected helps keep Sri Lanka polio-free 🇱🇰
#EndPolio #VaccinesWork #SriLanka
1993. The last time Sri Lanka reported a case of naturally circulating (wild) polio.
🙋🏽So why does polio still matter today?
Today, keeping polio out depends on more than zero cases: population immunity, sensitive surveillance, outbreak preparedness and containment all matter ✅
🌍 Until global eradication, every polio-free country has vital progress to protect 🛡️
#WorldPolioDay #EndPolio #VaccinesWork #SriLanka
🤔 Do you know what polio actually is?
Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus 🦠 that can invade the nervous system and, in some cases, cause irreversible paralysis ‼️
There is no cure, but there is effective prevention: vaccination 💉
🇱🇰 For Sri Lanka, staying polio-free means keeping protection high, with every child fully immunised and strong surveillance in place.
#WorldPolioDay #EndPolio #VaccinesWork #SriLanka
WHO Director-General highlights Sri Lanka’s leadership on health emergency preparedness 🇱🇰🌐
📹 In a video message, @WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) welcomed Sri Lanka’s leadership in undertaking the Universal Health and Preparedness Review.
Building on Sri Lanka’s strengths in public health, surveillance and international health security, he welcomed the mission’s focus on governance, sustainable financing, climate resilience, One Health and the proposed Sri Lankan Centre for Disease Control.
🗣️“Emergency preparedness is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Health alone.”
‼️ Against increasingly complex threats, Dr Tedros also emphasised that emergency preparedness requires leadership across government, Parliament, local authorities, academia, civil society, the private sector and communities.
His closing message: speak openly, agree on concrete priorities and strengthen accountability through national, regional and global peer review ✅
#UHPR #HealthSecurity #HealthEmergencies #OneHealth #SriLanka
[1/2] 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka’s UHPR dialogue continued at Parliament today 🏛️
The WHO delegation met with the Hon. Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya (@Dr_HariniA) and Hon. Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr Nalinda Jayatissa (@NalindaJay), taking forward discussions on how stronger health security can be sustained across government.
[2/2] 🗣️ As WHO Representative Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav @PandavRajesh) highlighted, the choice is to invest in preparedness before emergencies occur, rather than face far greater human, social and economic costs afterwards‼️
➡️The key takeaway: Sustained national leadership is essential to keep health security on the agenda, connect priorities across government and carry the momentum of UHPR forward 👏🏽
#UHPR #HealthSecurity #HealthEmergencies #SriLanka
[1/2] Day 1️⃣ of Sri Lanka’s UHPR High-Level Mission moved into detailed discussions on 3️⃣ connected areas:
🧑🏽⚖️ Governance and sustainable financing
🫱🏽 Inter-sectoral systems for managing disease, climate and other risks
🌏 International cooperation for stronger national and regional health security.
Bringing together national expertise and global perspective, Dr Palitha Karunapema presented on governance and financing, Dr Kapila Kannangara examined coordination around vector-borne and respiratory diseases amid climate change, and Dr Anil Samaranayake explored how inter-country cooperation can support joint preparedness and peer learning.
[2/2] Chaired and co-chaired by senior leaders from government, WHO, civil society and international partners, the discussions helped sharpen practical priorities across institutions, sectors and borders, bringing Sri Lanka’s preparedness needs into one connected technical dialogue 🇱🇰🌐
🎯 The value of UHPR lies here: identifying what Sri Lanka must strengthen now to be better prepared for future emergencies.
#UHPR #HealthSecurity #HealthEmergencies #SriLanka
WHO Sri Lanka retweeted
Health emergencies threaten livelihoods, education & essential services.
The @WHO delegation for Sri Lanka’s Universal Health Preparedness Review met the UN Country Team to discuss how the UN’s expertise can help strengthen Sri Lanka’s preparedness for future health emergencies.
WHO Sri Lanka retweeted
From words to actions
Moving from commitment to investment at today's #UHPR networking session.
Strengthening health emergency preparedness isn't a cost—it’s an investment in our collective future. Inspiring to connect with this insightful expert panel and audience in Colombo, as part of UHPR Sri Lanka - taking action on investing in health emergency preparedness.
#UHPR #SriLanka #EmergencyPreparedness #WHO #SustainableFinancing
WHO Sri Lanka retweeted
At Sri Lanka’s Universal Health Preparedness Review, I stressed how health emergencies can disrupt livelihoods, education & essential services & reverse development gains.
Preparedness requires coordinated action across government & society that goes beyond the health sector.
WHO Sri Lanka retweeted
"Countries such as Sri Lanka have undertaken a range of assessments and reviews of emergency preparedness capacities.
These evaluations have generated valuable evidence and technical recommendations. But the harder task is turning recommendations into coordinated action, backed by sustained political commitment and long-term investment.
That is the role of Universal Health Preparedness Review, or UHPR," said Dr Nilesh Buddha, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia, in his message to the Universal Health Preparedness Review (UHPR) Sri Lanka High-Level Mission 🌐.
#UHPR builds on existing evaluations and elevates preparedness, resilience and health security to the highest level of policy making.
#HealthSecurity #EmergencyPreparedness #SriLanka
