Centre for Health Systems Policy and Innovation
Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo
The Centre for Health Systems Policy and Innovation was established in 2023 as a World Health Organization (WHO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) supported initiative at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo in Collaboration with the George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia. The Centre for Health Systems Policy and Innovation is positioned as a national and regional platform for advancing health systems transformation, policy innovation, and implementation excellence.
Serving as a policy resource centre and independent think tank, the Centre supports governments, health institutions, and professional bodies in designing, implementing, and evaluating reforms that strengthen health systems and accelerate progress toward Precision Medicine, Primary Health Care and Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The Centre convenes policymakers, researchers, clinicians, public health professionals, and technology experts to generate actionable evidence and translate knowledge into policy and practice. Its core areas of work include primary health care strengthening, genomics, digital health and artificial intelligence, health systems governance, health financing, implementation science, and the strategic use of data for decision-making.
Through technical collaboration, capacity development, policy dialogue, and multidisciplinary partnerships, the Centre acts as a bridge between evidence, policy, and service delivery. It provides a neutral platform for regional learning, cross-country exchange, and innovation – supporting ministries of health, intergovernmental agencies, regional administrations, and professional colleges and associations to build resilient, equitable, people-centred, and future-ready health systems in Sri Lanka and and beyond.
The Center for Health Systems Policy and Innovation was ceremoniously opened on 24 August 2023 by Dr Alaka Singh, WHO Representative to Sri Lanka with the participation of officials of the Asian Development Bank, Canadian High Commission, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, University of Colombo, other universities, development partners, academia and other professionals.
The Sri Lankan health system is recognized regionally and globally as a high-impact, low-cost model. This achievement was built on the foundations of a health care system that has been free at the point of delivery; adopting key primary health care principles since 1926. However, Sri Lanka’s health outcomes have been threatened by multiple challenges; the increasing elderly population, the rise of non-communicable diseases, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the most catastrophic economic and financial crisis of the country since its independence. These poly-crises have re-emphasized the importance of identifying evidence-based and high-impact interventions for strengthening the health system. A Policy Center focusing on national health priorities related to health systems and primary health care is critical to address the above needs.
At the request of the Ministry of Health, through a competitive process, World Health Organization (WHO) Sri Lanka selected academic partners to form the “Center for Health Systems Policy and Innovation” (CHSPI). The University of Colombo which is Sri Lanka’s oldest higher education institution founded in 1921 is functioning as the local academic partner of CHSPI while The George Institute for Global Health which is a leading independent global medical research institute with major Centers in Australia, China, India and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the international collaborator. The CHSPI is hosted by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. This endeavor is supported by the Government of Canada and the Asian Development Bank.
The Center for Health Systems Policy and Innovation was ceremoniously opened on 24 August 2023 by Dr Alaka Singh, WHO Representative to Sri Lanka with the participation of officials of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, University of Colombo, and other universities, development partners, academia and other professionals.
The Center for Health Systems Policy and Innovation is expected to provide the necessary support needed for the Ministry of Health to generate high-quality evidence for informed decision-making, develop capacities of the health workforce, create a platform for knowledge sharing, build consensus around health sector reforms, and testing out new service delivery models and innovations related to primary health care. It is expected to provide a platform for all stakeholders including the Ministry of Health, other local universities, and international academic institutions to come together to provide practical and impactful support for health system strengthening in the country.
As its first capacity-building programme, CHSPI has now launched a virtual course on “Implementation Science: Adoption and Integration of Evidence-based Practices”, and 60 postgraduate trainees have been selected as the first cohort of participants. Further capacity-building programmes and policy dialogues are being planned to be conducted over the next few months.
A World Health Organization initiative with the Asian Development Bank
Academic Partners
