Sri Lanka\u2019s Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, stated that it is the responsibility of everyone to ensure a full and meaningful life for children recovering from cancer.<\/p>\n
The 79th World Health Assembly organized by the World Health Organization began yesterday (18) at the WHO headquarters under the leadership of WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, with the participation of health ministers and diplomatic representatives from 194 member countries.<\/p>\n
Dr. Victor Elias Atallah Lajam of the Dominican Republic was elected President of the Health Assembly.<\/p>\n
During the event, Swiss parliamentarian Elisabeth Baume-Schneider addressed the conference, followed by speeches from the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, and several other dignitaries.<\/p>\n
Alongside the 79th World Health Assembly, a special session organized by the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (WHO GICC) was also launched in Geneva under the theme \u201cOne World for Health.\u201d<\/p>\n
The session, titled \u201cMeasuring Survival, Driving Change \u2013 Advancing Equity Through the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer,\u201d<\/em> aims to increase the global survival rate of children affected by cancer to at least 60% by the year 2030.<\/p>\n During the session, the WHO announced the release of its latest global report on childhood cancer, titled \u201cMeasuring Survival, Driving Change.\u201d<\/em> For the first time worldwide, the report evaluates five-year survival rates for childhood and adolescent lymphoid leukemia on a country-by-country basis. The report also highlights major disparities in healthcare systems and data collection among countries.<\/p>\n Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, who currently chairs the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia, addressed the session and noted that improvements in early diagnosis, treatment, and care have significantly increased the number of children surviving cancer globally.<\/p>\n He emphasized that the true measure of success in childhood cancer care is not only how many children survive, but also how well they live after recovery. He added that providing every child who defeats cancer with a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life is a shared responsibility.<\/p>\n The Minister further stated that Sri Lanka remains committed to strengthening lifelong care services for childhood cancer survivors and continues to work closely with the WHO, international partners, healthcare professionals, civil society organizations, and survivors themselves.<\/p>\n He explained that Sri Lanka\u2019s national healthcare system, which is built on the principle of free healthcare for all, provides a strong foundation for equitable cancer diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, psychological support, and long-term care.<\/p>\n The Minister also stressed that support for childhood cancer survivors should not remain limited to hospitals alone but must involve primary healthcare services, schools, families, and communities as part of continuous care.<\/p>\n He warned that childhood cancer survivors can face long-term complications such as heart disease, endocrine disorders, learning difficulties, mental health issues, reproductive health problems, and social or economic challenges. Addressing these issues requires patient-centered and lifelong healthcare approaches.<\/p>\n Accordingly, Sri Lanka is strengthening organized follow-up care through pediatric cancer treatment centers and hospitals. The country\u2019s community health network also plays a major role through Medical Officer of Health services, public health nursing, maternal and child health programs, and the newly introduced \u201cArogya Wellness Centers.\u201d<\/p>\n The Minister added that Sri Lanka plans to further strengthen community-level health education, psychological counseling, nutritional guidance, and digital healthcare systems to support childhood cancer survivors.<\/p>\n He praised the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, launched in 2018, which is currently active in 87 countries worldwide. Of these, 50 countries have already integrated childhood cancer control into their national health strategies.<\/p>\n A senior delegation from Sri Lanka\u2019s Ministry of Health, including Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe, also participated in the conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sri Lanka\u2019s Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, stated that it is the responsibility of everyone to ensure a full and meaningful life for children recovering from cancer. 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