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 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.