The announcement came at the 69th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia Region, currently underway in Colombo. A delegation from India, led by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, is also in Colombo, participating in the event. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Monday declared Sri Lanka Malaria-free, after certifying that the life-threatening disease had been completely eliminated in the island. The announcement came at the 69th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia Region, currently underway in Colombo. Sri Lanka has, despite the protracted civil war that ravaged the country, set high standards in public health and sanitation in South Asia, though the island has been witnessing considerable privatisation in the last decade.

Source: The Hindu September 06, 2016 11:37 UTC