• Donor-funded medicines being phased out; moves to domestic financing 
• TB drugs face supply challenges after loss of bulk-purchasing arrangements 
• India steps in with several months’ stock; WHO offers child cancer drugs 

Sri Lanka’s elevation to middle-income country status has resulted in the scaling back or discontinuation of some donor-funded medicine supplies, forcing the Government to use domestic funds to purchase medicines previously obtained through international assistance programmes, Deputy Health Minister Dr Hansaka Wijemuni said.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Dr Wijemuni said the change had already created supply challenges, particularly with tuberculosis (TB) medicines, as Sri Lanka was no longer benefiting from international organisations’ bulk-purchasing arrangements.

However, he said India had agreed to provide several months’ stock of TB medicines to prevent any disruption in supplies.

Sri Lanka had previously received assistance for vaccines and medicines through programmes and funds such as the Global Fund, particularly during the country’s recent financial crisis. According to Dr Wijemuni, donor agencies had informed Sri Lanka well in advance that such assistance would eventually be reduced or discontinued, with much of the support having been phased out from around the beginning of this year.

As a result, the Government is now required to purchase certain medicines and vaccines using domestic funds.

Dr Wijemuni said the challenge involved not only the additional financial burden but also the time required for procurement. International organisations had previously purchased medicines in bulk for several countries simultaneously, allowing Sri Lanka to obtain essential drugs through established supply arrangements.

“When we purchase them ourselves, we still want to obtain them from the reliable companies that we have been purchasing from, many of which are in Europe. However, it takes some time to arrange these purchases. Because of this, we have experienced problems with some drugs, such as TB medicines,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Wijemuni said vaccines were not expected to face a similar supply problem, as the Government had been aware of the changes to funding arrangements in advance.

He added that Sri Lanka had also established a separate procurement mechanism through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), enabling the country to obtain medicines without conducting the tender process itself. Under the arrangement, the UNDP conducts international tenders and procures the required medicines on Sri Lanka’s behalf.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has been selected to receive cancer medicines for children through the World Health Organisation (WHO) Prequalification Programme, following a systematic review aimed at supplying 12 essential child-friendly cancer medicines to countries battling childhood cancers.

Consultant Community Physician at the National Cancer Control Programme Dr Suraj Perera said during a press briefing held yesterday (9) by the Health Promotion Bureau that Sri Lanka had been identified as a country launching pilot projects to combat childhood cancers.

He emphasised the importance of early identification of cancer and promptly directing children for treatment.

According to health authorities, around 900 to 1,000 children and adolescents below the age of 19 are diagnosed with cancer in Sri Lanka annually. The most common types include leukaemia, lymphoma, brain tumours, bone-related cancers and eye-related cancers.

Dr Perera said childhood cancers could be cured in almost all cases when detected and treated at an early stage, stressing the importance of recognising symptoms promptly.

Consultant in Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology Dr Sanjeeva Gunasekera said that while childhood cancer has a high cure rate when treated appropriately, it can spread rapidly through a child’s body.

He said children should be referred for further investigation if they develop three symptoms that cannot be clearly explained by other causes.

Symptoms vary depending on the type of cancer. In blood cancers, these can include a prolonged fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpits, inactivity during play, bleeding from the skin or gums, and a protruding abdomen.

For bone-related cancers, symptoms can include persistent bone pain lasting more than three months, swelling around the affected area, or bones becoming damaged through routine day-to-day activities.

Dr Gunasekera also said that if a symptom persisted despite treatment for three months, it could indicate a possible underlying cancer and should be investigated further.