🇱🇰🇮🇳 Digital Health Ecosystem: SL Focuses on National Electronic Health Record (NeHR)

• Sri Lanka and India co-hosted a key event on Digital Health ecosystems, held on the sidelines of the 78th WHO-SEARO Meeting in Colombo (Oct 13-15), reaffirming regional commitment. • National Strategy: The Sri Lanka Digital Health Blueprint (endorsed 2023) is now in the operationalisation phase. Its central aim is to create a National Electronic Health Record (NeHR), working towards a "single, shared digital health record for every individual." • Progress: Significant transformation has been made, including: • Digitising 135 hospitals across the country. • Integrating multiple public health programs. • Establishing a national drug information system. • Regional & International Support: Sri Lanka is leveraging lessons from digitally matured counterparts like India (via its Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission/ABDM) and Thailand. Financial and technical support is provided by WHO, ADB, World Bank, and others. • Challenges: Minister noted critical areas needing continuous investment: addressing the limited number of IT professionals within the Health Ministry, capacity building, system interoperability, and ensuring robust data security and privacy.