The programme focuses on hospital infrastructure and pandemic preparedness.

Sri Lanka is set to receive a $106.9m financing package from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to strengthen its secondary healthcare services.

The funding for the “Strengthening Integrated Health Care and Governance for Universal Health Coverage Program” consists of a $100m loan from ADB and a $6.9m grant from the Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Trust Fund.

The programme will expand the capacity and efficiency of secondary hospitals, develop patient-centred surgical and specialist treatment services, and integrate secondary healthcare with primary care facilities.

It will also improve hospital infrastructure, with a focus on quality of care, climate resilience, gender responsiveness, and elderly needs.

Moreover, the programme will support the establishment of a centre for disease control, improve public health laboratory accreditation, and implement cross-sectoral disease surveillance for pandemic preparedness.

Furthermore, it will support measures to enhance pharmaceutical logistics and quality assurance, advance digital procurement, and institutionalise good governance practices in the health sector.