News

Expect newer variants with rapid spread of COVID-19 in many parts of South Asia, medical experts say

Published

5 years ago

2021/08/14

Army personnel visiting a Colombo suburb to vaccinate those unable to visit vaccination centres (pic by Nishan S Priyantha)

The uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in many parts of South Asia implies that newer variants will continue to emerge, a research paper titled ‘Stronger together: a new pandemic agenda for South Asia’ by top South Asian medical experts state.

Among the medical experts is Prof. Neelika Malavige of the Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

The paper said that it is estimated that by 1 September 2021, approximately 1.4 million in South Asians will die due to COVID-19 alone. They also said the total number of excess deaths will be much higher—including non-COVID causes, as health systems are on the brink of collapse. With 33.4% of South Asians being extremely poor and the large-scale loss of livelihood being reported, the region faces a potentially catastrophic future for the ongoing decade.

“However, countries in South Asia continue to remain divisive. This differs from other geographic ‘blocs’ that frequently cooperate on mutual interest issues. Tensions in South Asia are shaped by complex domestic, bilateral, intra-regional and international geopolitical factors, despite the region’s obvious geographic, economic and cultural interdependence,” they claim.

A key lesson from the current pandemic is that countries need to share lessons and actively coordinate, complement, and supplement each other’s public health responses, especially between neighbours. The experts then presented a pragmatic ‘Stronger Together’ agenda on critical areas of concern for political, social, medical, and public health leaders in South Asia to consider and build on.

Given below the suggested action plan

“Cross-national surveillance for the
SARS-CoV-2 variants

“The uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 in many parts of South Asia implies that newer variants will continue to emerge. Some variants will inherently display increased transmissibility, infectivity and vaccine/antigenic escape capability, making it difficult for us to track and intelligently act on them. Rapidly scaling up capacity for genomics and rolling out countrywide surveillance systems require increased time and resources. Regional collaborative efforts within existing facilities and building a regional network similar to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing Consortia are feasible. The network can also build capacity within each country in the long run making countries self-sufficient to collect data and strengthen regional surveillance. Linking genomic data with clinical and public health data as well as enabling environmental surveillance will provide a more comprehensive picture of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. This is an investment, not only for the ongoing pandemic but also for other endemic pathogens and emerging infectious diseases.

“Interconnected and resilient health systems

“Health system capacity and human resources for health remain a major regional challenge. Healthcare worker density in the region is well below the suggested threshold of 44.5 healthcare workers per 10 000 population to achieve universal health coverage. National averages hide the disparities that exist across various geographic, demographic and socioeconomic population groups. The possibility of interconnected and collaborative health systems holds enormous potential, specifically for border areas. Setting up mechanisms for cross-border patient management (relaxed barriers or visa requirements on sharing medical documentation) and regional medical missions is essential from a humanitarian standpoint. Facilitating cross-border teleconsultation by designing more flexible mutually agreed upon regulations will also further boost capacity. At the minimum, peer support groups and tele-mentoring should be put into place. For this, mutual recognition of medical licenses and healthcare qualifications is essential. While close collaborations will be needed for the pandemic response, forming functional mechanisms of public health networking between countries under a long-term regional strategy will be required for developing a shared resilience and preparedness plan.

“Addressing COVID-19 supplies shortage

“There is a dependency on aid from the diaspora and from bilateral, multinational and humanitarian aid agencies to secure COVID-19 supplies during the current surge. This is neither sustainable, nor secure, nor without consequences. South Asian countries need to jointly invest in the augmentation of dedicated production capacities of essential medicines and other supplies. Much has been said about India’s tremendous capacity as the ‘pharmacy of the world’, not recognising manufacturing capacity in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and other countries in the region. Nationalistic policies and hoarding of active pharmaceutical ingredients by high-income countries (HICs) impede access and scale-up. However, such power imbalances can be mitigated to an extent if South Asia acts as a ‘bloc’. Production augmentation alone would not be sufficient—there is a need to agree on shared technology ownership/transfer and an equity-based regional distribution model based on priority groups defined based on assessment of risks and vulnerability.

“COVID-19 vaccines specifically remain a crucial challenge for South Asia. In the short term, South Asian countries must act as a bloc to request excess vaccines from HICs, using a collective needs assessment and a diplomatic approach. In the long term, there is a need to re-invent global health mechanisms such as COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX). Equity—the defining purpose of COVAX—has been subverted by HICs who had brought vaccines directly from manufacturers and built stockpiles. The South Asian bloc, together with others, needs to shift COVAX from a neo-colonial purchase-donate model to a model with regional manufacturing hubs. Access to vaccines or essential medicines, a vital component of the right to health, should not be dependent on charitable inclinations, economic or political interests of HICs, or private corporations—a regional effort is required to change the status quo.

“Cooperation between scientific, professional organisations and associations

“Clinical providers (e.g., doctors, nurses), scientists and public health professionals in South Asia must recognise that there is much context-specific knowledge to be learnt from one another and that collaboration is valuable. Shared challenges include low value, irrational clinical care, unregulated home-grown medical solutions and medical misinformation. Many South Asian countries do not develop their own clinical practice guidelines or the ones that are developed are not of high-quality. There is an urgent need for medical associations to collaboratively develop contextually relevant clinical practice guidelines at par with global standards. Advocacy for more significant investments in health and health workers is needed. The social conscience needs to realise that pathogens do not understand nationalism, populism or respect borders. There is also an urgent need to fight against irrationality and anti-science in the region. Drawing on the diverse experiences of countries regarding public health responses, vaccine roll-out, diagnosis and treatment capacity would be highly advantageous in designing effective pandemic responses both immediately and for the long term.

“The way forward

“Focusing on a ‘Stronger Together’ future is a necessary step for tackling health security challenges beyond COVID-19, such as the climate crisis. The longer COVID-19 stays uncontrolled, even in a single country in South Asia, all other countries will be in immediate danger from novel variants and other social, economic and political consequences. Beyond the immediate benefits of addressing the pandemic, a collective regional approach, with global knowledge-exchange collaborations, will be vital for re-imagining the global health structure with equity at its centre.”

All News Advertisement

News

Green Climate Fund (GCF) Regional Dialogue for East and South Asia will be held from 14 to 17 September 2026 at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Hotel, Colombo

Published

1 hour ago

2026/09/12

Priyan

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Regional Dialogue for Eastern and Southern Asia is scheduled to be held from September 14 to 17, 2026, at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, Colombo.

The Dialogue is hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka. The Green Climate Fund is the world’s largest dedicated climate fund established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to assist developing countries in responding to the challenges of climate change.

The Green Climate Fund aims to promote a paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development
pathways by supporting developing countries in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

The Ministry of Environment of Sri Lanka serves as the country’s National Designated Authority for the Green Climate Fund, playing a critical role in coordinating access to climate finance, nominating institutions for accreditation to the Green Climate Fund and approving funding proposals, and ensuring that activities supported by the Green Climate Fund are aligned with national development objectives.

More than 120 delegates from 10 countries are expected to participate. The participating countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, and Sri Lanka.

Participants will include representatives of National Designated Authorities of the above countries, Direct Access Entities, Accredited Entities, civil society organizations, the private sector, development partners, and technical institutions across the region.

Sri Lanka’s delegation comprises Dr. Dammika Patabendi, Minister of Environment, Anton Jayakody, Deputy Minister of Environment, K.R. Uduwawala, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, and high-level government officials.

The Dialogue will provide a platform to:

Share challenges, experiences, and lessons learned from the implementation of climate change projects and programmes.

Strengthen regional cooperation and partnerships on climate finance.

Discuss the Green Climate Fund’s evolving strategies, policies, and approaches.

Identify opportunities to accelerate climate investments across East and South Asia.

Hosting the Regional Dialogue in Colombo will provide Sri Lanka with an important opportunity to engage with senior government officials, private-sector representatives, development partners, technical experts, and international climate finance institutions.

The event is expected to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to improve access to climate finance and international grants, showcase national climate action initiatives and achievements, and strengthen the country’s engagement with the global climate community.

The Dialogue will also offer a strategic platform for Sri Lankan institutions that have applied for direct accreditation to present their project concepts and engage directly with representatives of the Green Climate Fund. These engagements are expected to support the accreditation process and contribute to the expansion of Sri Lanka’s network of Direct Access Entities through stronger regional partnerships and increased cooperation on climate finance, the Regional Dialogue will
contribute to positioning Sri Lanka as a credible and reliable partner for climate investment.

Projects that Sri Lanka has received funding from this fund are:
• The main projects that Sri Lanka has received support from the Green Climate Fund at present include the Wevu Gam Pubuduwa Project (52.1 USD Million) and the GCF Knuckles Project (49 USD Million).

7.5 USD Million has been allocated from GCF for 5 National Designated Authority Readiness Projects (NDA Readiness Projects) and for the National Adaptation Plan Readiness Project (NAP Readiness Project).

Approval has also been obtained for 3 regional projects. (Cooling Facility Programme, Global Fund for Coral Reef Investment Window, PEEB COOL Programme)

Sri Lanka has also identified 5 project concepts as priority projects for the Green Climate Fund period 2024-2027 and has taken steps to submit those project concepts (Concept Notes) for
approval by the Green Climate Fund.

The “Climate-resilient Fisheries in Sri Lanka” project concept (USD 107.5 million) submitted by DFCC Bank has already received approval.

News

Prof. Pieris says Buddha Dhamma recognised as source of law under Constitution

Published

3 hours ago

2026/09/12

Thilina Walpola

G.L. Peiris

Former Minister and People’s Joint Opposition Convener Prof. G.L. Peiris has challenged the assertion that the Supreme Court’s determination on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution would be based solely on law and not Buddhist teachings, arguing that such a position is inconsistent with Article 9 of the Constitution and established judicial precedent.

In a special statement, titled “Buddhist Doctrine as a Source of Law in Sri Lanka”, Prof. Peiris has said the issue had arisen during the 22nd Amendment determination proceedings when Ven. Balangoda Kassapa referred to the Buddha Dhamma in his submissions.

According to Prof. Peiris, the Chief Justice responded that the determination would be made on the basis of the law and not Buddhist teachings.

Describing this as a “cavalier dismissal” of the Buddha Dhamma. Prof. Peiris has said it is contrary to Article 9, which gives Buddhism the foremost place and requires the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana.

Full text of the statement: In the 22nd Amendment determination proceedings, Venerable Balangoda Kassapa, in his submissions, made reference to the Buddha Dhamma. His Lordship the Chief Justice, in reply, made the strong assertion that the determination would be made on the basis of the law and not Buddhist teachings. This cavalier dismissal of the Buddha Dhamma is totally inconsistent with Article 9 of the Constitution and its authoritative interpretation in judicial decisions.

I. Authoritative Sri Lankan Judicial Authority A few examples may be cited.

In the Antiquities Amendment Bill, the Supreme Court, in its determination, observed: “The expression Buddha Sasana is wider than Buddhism and includes the entire establishment, together with objects and places of religious practices and worship of Buddhists”.

In Re the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution and the Provincial Councils Bill, 1987 2 Sri Lanka LR 312, Wanasundera J, referring to the term Buddha Sasana, said that it was “a compendious term encompassing all ancient, historic and sacred objects and places which have from ancient times been associated with the religious practices and worship of Sinhala Buddhists”.

It is clear that the Buddha Sasana is not confined to matters of ritual or practice, but includes the substance of Buddhist teachings. This is borne out clearly in other judgments of the Supreme Court.

An explicit example is the determination of the Supreme Court in the Ayurveda Amendment Bill, SCSD, numbers 22-35/2023, where the Court declared: “We hold that Buddha Sasana in Article 9 of the Constitution includes the dhamma, principles and teachings of Buddhism, including in particular recognized and undisputed codifications of the teachings of Lord Buddha”.

There are several other passages in the judgment which offer strong authority on the point.

The Court declared: “We determine that the word Buddha Sasana in Article 9 is a compendious term and includes the entire establishment of Buddhism as defined above. We conclude that the Tripitaka, consisting of the Vinaya Pitaka, the Sutta Pitaka and the Abhidhamma Pitaka, falls within the word Buddha Sasana. Hence the State has a duty inter alia to protect and foster the Tripitaka”.

The Court was uncompromising in its declaration that “While retaining the word Buddhism to denote the religion to which foremost place has been accorded in the Republic, the word Buddha Sasana was used to impose a duty on the State to protect and foster the entire establishment of Buddhism”.

The Court’s approach is very clear from the following passage: “We must proceed to interpret Article 9 of the Constitution on the basis that this change was intentional on the part of the legislature. It was meant to cover an area wider than Buddhism”.

II. International Judicial Authority

There is valuable material in the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

Judge C. G. Weeramantry, in his dissenting opinion in the ICJ’s 1996 advisory opinion on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons, said that Buddhism could provide an important humanitarian perspective when considering the legality of nuclear weapons. The judge cited as his source the work by Walpola Rahula, entitled What the Buddha Taught, 1959.

Similarly, Judge Weeramantry, in his separate opinion in the maritime delimitation in the area between Greenland and Jan Mayen case, 1993, commented on the international legal concept of equity. In this connection, he referred to “the elaborately researched concept of fairness and justice in Buddhism”.

News

GR leaves FCID after making statement over MiG deal

Published

3 hours ago

2026/09/12

Thilina Walpola

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) last evening after making a statement for several hours in connection with the ongoing investigation into the controversial procurement of MiG fighter aircraft.

Rajapaksa arrived at the FCID Headquarters yesterday morning after being summoned by investigators to assist with the inquiry into the procurement and related financial transactions involving the aircraft acquired for the Sri Lanka Air Force.

He was questioned for several hours before leaving the premises later in the day.

Meanwhile, former Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetileke also appeared before the FCID on Thursday to provide a statement in connection with the same investigation.Goonetileke left the FCID after being questioned for more than five hours.