Govt's aim quality healthcare for all

Nadira Gunatilleke

Sri Lanka will continue to provide free healthcare to people as a measure of social welfare to build a healthy workforce. The Government has taken steps to provide a health service outlet within a radius of five kilometres to any citizen in the country.

The quality of care is of prime concern of the Government. Therefore action is being taken to ensure quality in healthcare is provided to all, Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said addressing the world Health Assembly 2008 currently being held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Minister De Silva said that Sri Lanka has been spared of any case of Avian Flu so far while many neighbouring countries have experienced outbreaks in the past few years. We keep a close vigilance and the health sector and the agriculture sector have formulated joint plans that Sri Lanka will not be affected.

Minister De Silva said, the challenges of securing equitable access to health services for Lankan migrants one is an issue that is important to my country because there are over one million Sri Lankan migrants especially in the Middle East and in Asia. They are a major source of our national revenue and we must make sure that they have the assurance of healthcare wherever they are employed as they face special health risks.

Sri Lanka has achieved major successes in maternal and child health during the past few decades. Our infant mortality is down to 12 infant deaths per 1,000 live births and our maternal mortality is less than 40 per 100,000 live births.

Minister De Silva also said that Sri Lanka's TB control programme has reached the millennium target well ahead of schedule.

The Malaria prevention programme has also achieved a significant success recording the lowest number of cases in nearly 50 years in 2007 and currently working towards elimination of it. Sri Lanka has been able to bring WHO recommended elimination status in Filaria and Leprosy in recent years. The political leadership and commitment in the control of such communicable diseases has helped the control programmes to achieve these difficult goals.

Minister de Silva pointed out that Sri Lanka's HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities have been quite successful to keep Sri Lanka a low prevalence country so far. The transmission through blood is extremely low compared to other countries in the region. Only three persons got infected during last 20 years through blood.

Sri Lanka also strongly supports the FCTC and its recommendations and have developed strategies to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol. Prevention of the harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco is one of the flagship programmes of our President, Mahinda Rajapaksa who has initiated the 'Mathata Thitha'.

The Government has increased the health budget for two years in succession bringing it closer to three per cent of the GDP and this has been despite the demands for other priorities, he added.