News

World Blood Donor Day 2025 - Give blood, give hope: together we save lives

World No Tobacco Day 2025

World Hypertension Day 2025

World Malaria Day - 25 April 2025 “Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite.”

World Immunization Week 2025 “Humanly Possible: Immunization for All”

World Health Day 2025: Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures

Landmark initiative to strengthen integrity in medicine regulation: Sri Lanka takes the lead with support from WHO and UNODC

WHO-IAEA-IARC team concludes Joint Comprehensive Assessment of Sri Lanka’s capacity and needs in Cancer Prevention and Management.

WHO partners with regulators, experts to strengthen safety and access to medical devices

24 March: World TB Day 2025 ‘Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver’

World Tuberculosis Day 2025 “Yes! We can end TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver!”

World Oral Health Day 2025 “A Happy Mouth is a Happy Mind”

International Women’s Day - “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”

World Hearing Day: “Changing Mindsets: Empower Yourself to Make Ear and Hearing Care a Reality for All”

WHO Goodwill Ambassador Mr Yohei Sasakawa Visits Sri Lanka to Strengthen Leprosy Elimination Efforts

World Cancer Day 2025: The World Cancer Day theme 2025-2027, “United by Unique” places people at the centre of care and explores new ways of making a difference.

World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2025: Unite. Act. Eliminate.

WHO comments on United States’ announcement of intent to withdraw

International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future

World AMR Awareness Week 18 - 24 November 2024.

World AMR Awareness Week 2024

Cervical cancer elimination day of action

World Diabetes Day 2024: ‘Breaking barriers, bridging gaps’

Sri Lanka conducts the Infectious Substance Shipping Training to certify One Health laboratory leaders in the country.

Sri Lanka receives 18.4 million USD grant funds through the Pandemic Fund second round of fund allocation

World Sight Day 2024

World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2024: "It is time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace"

International day of older persons 2024: 'Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide'

World Heart Day

World Patient Safety Day 2024: Emphasizing the Need for Safer Healthcare Practices

World Suicide Prevention day 2024 “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”

Sri Lanka completes the One Health Zoonotic Diseases Prioritization Exercise

Mainstreaming of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in health-care facilities, Kandy District, Sri Lanka

First meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024

WHO Director-General declares mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern

Sri Lanka Successfully Conducts Capacity Building Program in Clinical Management of Dengue– For Bangladeshi Health Staff

World Drowning Prevention Day 25 July 2024: Any one can drown, no one should

Sri Lanka becomes the second country in the South-East Asia Region to initiate the capacity building for Health Emergency Operations Centres

World Blood Donor Day 2024 – “20 years of celebrating giving: Thank you, blood donors!”

Sri Lanka becomes the first country in the South-East Asia Region to conduct a resource mapping for the National Action Plan for Health Security Operational Plan using the WHO REMAP tool

Sri Lanka Conducts an Integrated Vector-Borne Diseases Review Mission of its National Dengue, Malaria, Leishmaniasis, and Lymphatic Filariasis Programmes

World No Tobacco Day

World Hypertension Day 2024: Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.

Message from Saima Wazed Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region. World Hand Hygiene Day

Message from Saima Wazed Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region. International Day of the Midwife

Message from Saima Wazed Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region. World Day for Safety and Health at Workplace

Message from Saima Wazed Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region. World Malaria Day 2024: ‘Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world’

World Malaria Day - 25 April 2024 “Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world”

World Immunization Week 2024 - 24 to 30 April (Humanly Possible: Saving lives through immunization)

Message from Saima Wazed Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region. 'Yes! We can end TB!’ 24 March 2024.

World Tuberculosis Day 2024 “Yes! We can end TB!

Sri Lanka becomes the first country globally to develop the country’s National Action Plan for Health Security utilizing the e-NAPHS platform

Message from Ms Saima Wazed Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region. World Oral Health Day 2024: Empower everyone, everywhere to value and care for oral health.

Deinstitutionalize mental health care, strengthen community-based services: WHO

Message from Ms Saima Wazed Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia. International Women’s Day 2024: “Invest in women—accelerate progress”

Message from Ms Saima Wazed Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia. World Birth Defects Day: Every journey matters.

Message from Ms Saima Wazed Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region. World Hearing Day 3rd March 2024 Changing mindsets: Let's make ear and hearing care a reality for all!

World Birth Defects Day

World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2024: Unite. Act. Eliminate.

WHO Sri Lanka convenes experts on mitigation of Commercial Determinants of Health (CDoH) at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC) 2024

Maldives, Sri Lanka achieve Hepatitis B control

Mainstreaming Gender, Equity and Human Rights: WHO Sri Lanka's Comprehensive Approach to Combat Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment

Bhutan recognizes WHO Regional Director, confers gold medal at National Day

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023

International Universal Health Coverage Day - "Health For All: Time for Action"

Focus on Health at COP 28

International Universal Health Coverage Day: Health for All - Now More than Ever

Anti-Microbial Consumption (AMC) national surveillance to enrol in the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS)

Leaving no one behind through implementation of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy

World AIDS Day 2023

Sri Lanka joins the EIOS global community adopting an all-hazard approach

Message by Regional Director WHO South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh on the 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women, 2023

World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 18 - 24 November 2023

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week

Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action 2023

World Diabetes Day: Access to Diabetes Care

Launching of National Risk Communication Strategic Plan

WHO introduces ‘Costing and Budgeting Tool for National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance’ to One Health partners in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka hosts the Second Annual Meeting of the South-East Asia Regional Forum for Primary Health Care-oriented Health Systems

South-East Asia Regional workshop on Strengthening Occupational Health

International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week: 23-29 October 2023

World Sight Day: The importance of eye care in the workplace

School Health Promoting Month- October 2023

World Mental Health Day: Mental Health is a Universal Human Right

WHO Sri Lanka supports the Ministry of Health to develop a Planning Management Information System (PMIS)

Caring for children with Developmental delay - Reaching the vulnerable

UN International Day of Older Persons 2023

National Emergency Medical Teams Awareness Training: Strengthening Disaster Response in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka successfully concludes the Joint External Evaluation of the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) Core Capacities

World Patient Safety Day 2023: “Engaging patients for patient safety”

WHO joins hands to sustain Breastfeeding promotion efforts in Sri Lanka

World Hepatitis Day 2023

3rd World Drowning Prevention Day 25 July 2023

World Blood Donor Day 2023

World Food Safety Day: Food Standards Save Lives

World No Tobacco Day: “We need food, not tobacco”

Sri Lanka conducts Strategic Risk Assessment Workshop with WHO STAR Toolkit

WHO lauds Sri Lanka’s move on trans fat

World Hypertension Day

Message during, 7th UN Global Road Safety Week, 15-21 May 2023

World Malaria Day - 25 April 2023

Health for All demands not just commitment but action from every person, everywhere

World Tuberculosis Day 24 March 2023 “Yes! We can end TB!

Sri Lanka successfully concludes the IHR-PVS National Bridging Workshop in February 2023

International Women’s Day: Achieve access for all women and girls to digital innovations and technologies.

Sri Lanka presents experiences in triple planetary crisis and way forward through the economic crisis at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference 2023

World Neglected Tropical Disease Day

World Leprosy Day 2023: WHO calls for renewed efforts in the battle against leprosy

WHO delivers essential medicines and supplies to help sustain vital health services for crisis response and beyond

WHO strengthens air quality monitoring capacities in Sri Lanka for improved air quality management

International Universal Health Coverage Day: Achieve Health for All through All for Health

World AIDS Day 2022

World AIDS Day: Equalize to end the AIDS epidemic

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

National Event for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week

Remember. Support. Act - World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action: Together we can end cervical cancer

World Diabetes Day: Education to protect tomorrow

World Stroke Day 2022

World Sight Day: Achieve access for all to quality, inclusive and affordable eye care

World Mental Health Day

International Day of Older Persons - 1 October 2022

Achieving Zero Rabies deaths through One Health Approach

World Contraception Day 2022: WHO joins hands to sustain Family Planning Services in Sri Lanka

World Patient Safety Day 2022 celebrations

RD's message on World Patient Safety Day: Medication without harm

World Patient Safety Day 2022 National Action Plan on Medication Safety in action

“Creating Hope Through Action”

Strengthening PHC in Sri Lanka: Engaging people to build an environment that is conducive to healthy choices and well-being

Empowering Sri Lankan Nursing Students on Delivering Gender-Responsive Health Care

Stepping up surveillance and strengthening public health measures to prevent and respond to monkeypox transmission

Step up for Breastfeeding; Educate and Support

RD's message on World Breastfeeding Week, 1 to 7 August 2022

World Hepatitis Day 2022

Childhood Drowning Prevention Through “Swim for Safety” Program for School Children

World Drowning Prevention Day 2022

Dengue Fact Sheet and Situation Report, 22 July 2022

Youth Community Leadership Initiative (YCLI) towards sustainable peace and development in Sri Lanka

Disaster Preparedness in 2022; International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Basic Training Sri Lanka

Monkeypox: What you need to know

Summary of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee meeting regarding the multi-country monkeypox outbreak

World Blood Donor Day 2022

Sri Lanka Humanitarian Needs and Priorities Plan

Book on elimination of infectious diseases in South-East Asia

World No Tobacco Day: ‘Tobacco – threat to our environment’

Multi-country monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries

WHO Director-General announces Global Health Leaders Awards

Low Salt Recipe book launched

Holistic approach to prevent deaths from road traffic crashes underscored during UN Road Safety Week

High blood pressure – measure accurately, control it and live longer

International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses Day 2022

Sri Lanka’s success in eliminating malaria but need for vigilance against re-introduction

How Sri Lanka’s strong vaccination programme assisted in COVID-19 vaccine roll-out

Jaffna Healthy City – full steam ahead with WHO support

Sri Lanka’s health sector acts to ward off climate change impact

World Health Day 2022: “Our Planet, Our Health”

Recycling agrochemical containers in the rice bowl of Sri Lanka

World TB Day: " Invest to End TB. Save Lives"

Shaking the salt habit for better health

From burning to composting in Sri Lanka Empowering women through “Safe Cities & Safe Communities Initiative”

World Environment Day June 5th 2020

Sri Lanka releases a first day cover and a postage stamp in commemoration of the International Year of Health and Care Workers -2021

People’s support critical for curtailing further spread of Omicron

Interim statement on booster doses for COVID-19 vaccination

Take all measures to prevent further spread of Omicron

10th Global Conference on Health Promotion charters a path for creating ‘well-being societies’

Prioritize investments in primary health care for universal health coverage: WHO

Investing 1 dollar per person per year could save 7 million lives in low and lower-middle income countries

10th Global Conference on Health Promotion starts today

UHC Day 2021: Launch of the regional strategy of primary health care

Enhancing Readiness for Omicron (B.1.1.529): Technical Brief and Priority Actions for Member States

WHO Dialogues: Sri Lanka shares digital innovations made during pandemic

WHO South-East Asia Region confirms first few cases of Omicron

World Health Assembly Special Session Wrap Up

World AIDS Day 2021 – End inequalities and End AIDS

Sri Lanka delegates to the special session of the World Health Assembly met with the Director General of WHO

Omicron (B.1.1.529) classified as a SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern

Commemorating World Diabetes Day 2021. Access to diabetes care: if not now, when?

The Government of Canada and WHO partner to support the COVID-19 response and resilience of Sri Lanka’s primary health care system

World Stroke Day 2021 launches the Precious Time Campaign

Call for the safe reopening of schools amidst COVID-19 and to make every school a health promoting school

High-level event to launch WHO’s position paper on building health systems resilience towards UHC and health security

Post COVID-19 condition (Long COVID)

World Mental Health Day 2021

UN International Day of Older Persons

World Contraception Day 2021

Sri Lanka vaccinates 50 per cent of total population, covering over 10 million with both doses

WHO Sri Lanka collaborates with Ministry of Health to provide an integrated home-based care for asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 cases

World Patient Safety Day 2021

Virtual launch of publications during 74th Session of Regional Committee, WHO South-East Asia Region

Seventy-fourth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia - Day5

Seventy-fourth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia - Day4

Seventy-fourth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia - Day3

Call for experts to join Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens

WHO, Germany open Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin

Seventy-fourth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia - Day2

Seventy-fourth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia - Day1

Seventy-fourth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia - Day1

Seventy-fourth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia - Day1

WHO Sri Lanka supports Sri Lanka’s COVID-19vaccination drive with supply of 2 million syringes

Sri Lanka receives a large consignment of AstraZeneca vaccines from Japan via the COVAX Facility

WHO Sri Lanka has not released any recommendations on the COVID-19 quarantine curfew or issued any statement to the media on the matter.

The European Union and the World Health Organization provide critical support to Sri Lanka as the pandemic continues to evolve

Extension of the quarantine curfew

Sri Lanka receives over 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX

No conditionalities specific to Sri Lanka for COVAX vaccines

Germany supports the COVID-19 response in Sri Lanka with a consignment of masks

Dr Abeykoon wins the South-East Asia Region WHO World No Tobacco Day 2021 award

Brainstorming among public health experts on optimizing the health sector response to the current surge in Sri Lanka

World Health Day 2021 “Building a fairer, healthier world”

First batch of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility arrive in Sri Lanka

Showcasing maternal, child, health best practices in Sri Lanka

COVID-19 case surveillance app: Suwapetha

Sri Lanka commits to eliminating cervical cancer

WHO donates insulin and glucagon to support diabetes management during COVID-19

WHO supplies rapid antigen detection tests for COVID-19 response

Genomic sequencing conducted to understand the October 2020 COVID-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka

Towards A New New Normal : nationwide COVID-19 prevention campaign

Sri Lanka eliminates mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis

Expert group meeting on health financing in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: using technology to train and mentor staff on the NCD frontline

National meeting on implementing the National Salt Reduction Strategy

Developing training modules for Sri Lankan healthcare workers on COVID-19 prevention

World Blood Donor Day 2020

Online training program for medical professionals conducted

WHO and DFAT donate vital equipment and supplies to fight COVID-19 in Sri Lanka

Government of Australia and WHO partner to support COVID-19 preparedness and response in Sri Lanka

Each for equal: efforts to eliminate cervical cancer

Birth Defects in Sri Lanka

World Birth Defects Day – March 3, 2020

Sri Lanka ranks 68 on child health in WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission

World Childhood Cancer Day, February 15, 2020

WHO Country Office Sri Lanka Launches a Model Health Corner

Information on COVID-19

Sri Lanka Police Conducts Symposium on Sustainable Road Safety with WHO

Asian Universities Alliance Youth Forum Conducted in Partnership with WHO

National Medicine Policy (2020-2025) and Strategic Implementation Plan Kick-Off Meeting

Second Stakeholder Consultation on the Development of an SDG 3 National Action Plan for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Police Conduct Symposium on Road Safety with the Support of WHO

Preventing Dengue in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka eliminates measles

Sri Lanka Celebrates the Inaugural World Food Safety Day

Sri Lanka discusses the way forward to achieve SDG Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well- being for all at all ages.

Launch of Sri Lanka Accident Data Management System (SLADMS) - 07th September 2018, Colombo