This Regional preparatory meeting leading to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Annual Ministerial Review is being jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition, in partnership with three UN bodies, namely the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP) and attended by the Foreign Minister of Myanmar, the Minister of Health of the Maldives , The Minister of Finance of Bhutan, and Deputy Ministers from Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan, as well as a large number of high-level representatives of Governments, UN multilateral organizations, NGOs and the private sector.
Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka delivered the keynote address at the inauguration of this important regional meeting in which he highlighted the fact that the strategy for financing healthcare in Sri Lanka was very simple – that it is provided for in the national budget. Although Sri Lanka is not a rich country, the State has always provided free healthcare to all citizens from birth to death.
Foreign Minister Bogollagama, elaborating further in his welcome address, stated that Sri Lanka is all set to achieve the MDGs in the health sector well before the 2015 target date, on the basis of its proven track record of positive social welfare development, reflected in the superior achievements in the health and education sectors, which have in turn empowered the people. The Government’s efforts to counter terrorism should be viewed in the context of providing greater space and opportunity for further empowerment of the people in the parts of the country which have been denied democracy due to terrorism. This would also enable an inclusive process to commence, enabling the true voices of the people which have been hitherto silenced due to the threat of terrorism, to be heard and articulated. The success of the Government strategy can not be measured by the rhetoric value of mere statements, but in terms of the endorsement by the people. The popular support manifested by the over 70% mandate for the Government at the recent Provincial Council elections is perhaps unprecedented in a democracy, especially given the inherent disadvantage of incumbency and the current global economic downturn, which has also affected Sri Lanka.
Minister Bogollagama noted that resilience of the Sri Lankan people was amply demonstrated by the remarkably quick recovery from the devastation caused by the Tsunami in December 2004. Similarly, he expressed optimism that the investment that the Government has made in the people by providing free healthcare and education, as well as support for agriculture and industry, will pay rich dividends and enable the achievement of the MDGs, which are reflected in President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s vision of empowering the people and ensuring the security of the nation.
The Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition, Nimal Siripala De Silva, Vice President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council ( ECOSOC) Ambassador Hamidon Ali, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs ( UNDESA) Mr. Thomas Stelzer, and Deputy Director –General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Anarfi Asamoa- Baah also addressed the inauguration of the Regional Meeting.
-Sri Lanka Guardian
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