The Global Learning Collaborative for Health Systems Resilience successfully launched the Sri Lanka Country Chapter in a virtual event organized on the 8th of November 2023. The event was graced by members and audiences from 14 countries.

This marks the inauguration of the third country chapter within the collaborative after the launch of the India Chapter in March 2023 and the launch of the Bangladesh Chapter in July 2023. The Sri Lanka Chapter is especially beneficial given its rich recorded history of efforts at UHC and it was one of the first countries to adopt a primary healthcare approach.

Dr Uma Aysola, Director of Communications, Relations and Partnerships delivered the opening address of the event and laid the foundation for what to expect from the following hour and a half. Following this, Dr Krishna Reddy Nallamalla, President, Asia, ACCESS Health International, set the context for the formation of the Global Learning Collaborative for Health Systems Resilience and also what to expect from the collaborative learning journey in the upcoming future.

Dr Asela Gunawardena, Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, delivered a keynote address on the topic “The Importance of Strengthening Primary Care Services: Lessons from Sri Lanka”. He also expressed his excitement on behalf of the country to be joining the Collaborative and explained how the Sri Lankan experience can contribute to the learning journey and provide unique insights.  

Dr Lal Panapatiya, Deputy Director General, Medical Services, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, also delivered a special address on the theme of “Health Systems Resilience during COVID-19”. Dr Panapatiya’s address shone some light on the Sri Lankan Experience during the pandemic. This was followed by a special address from Dr GSP Ranasinghe on the theme of “Primary health care and integration of care levels for health systems resilience”. Dr Ranasinghe’s address brought in insights from the functioning of the Sri Lankan health systems, with special emphasis on their primary care system.

We thank all the attendees of the launch event and their continued contributions to the growing culture of collaborative learning within the Collaborative