The Health Ministers and Heads of Delegations for the health ministers conference of BIMSTEC Member States paid a collective courtesy call on Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at Temple Trees on the 11th of November 2026.
Welcoming the delegation, the Prime Minister expressed her pleasure at Sri Lanka assuming the Chairmanship of the BIMSTEC Health Ministers.
The delegation shared their views on the discussions and outcomes of the BIMSTEC Health Ministers’ Ministerial Conference held over the preceding two days. They also discussed the proposed new areas of engagement and initiatives to strengthen regional cooperation in the health sector.
The importance of enhancing regional cooperation in public health through knowledge-sharing, the exchange of expertise and capacity-building was highlighted.
Emphasising the need for a collective approach to addressing challenges in the health sector, the Prime Minister noted that meaningful progress requires the shared commitment and coordinated efforts of all BIMSTEC Member States rather than individual country-level efforts.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Health and Family Welfare to Bangladesh Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain ; Union Minister of Health to Myanmar Soe Win; Minister of Health and Food Safety to Nepal Neesha Mehta; Secretary and Representative to the Minister of Public Health to Thailand Arthit Meethong, Secretary of Health to Bhutan Pemba Wangchuk, BIMSTEC Secretary-General Indra Mani Pandey and Deputy Minister of Health to Sri Lanka Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media to Sri Lanka Dr. Anil Jasinghe. Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta and officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism also participated in the meeting.
Prime minister’s Media