India Sends Anti-TB Medicines to Sri Lanka

India dispatched around three tonnes of anti-tuberculosis medicines to Sri Lanka on 28 September 2026. The consignment reached Colombo by an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft. India has also continued technical and other assistance for Sri Lanka’s tuberculosis control programme.

India-Sri Lanka Health Cooperation

India and Sri Lanka have maintained cooperation in public health through medicines, technical support, and development grants. India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated India’s support for Sri Lanka’s public health system. Such assistance forms part of bilateral development cooperation between the two countries.

Tuberculosis Control Programme

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It mainly affects the lungs, but it can also affect the brain, kidneys, and bones. The disease is treated with a combination of anti-TB medicines over a fixed period, and national control programmes use diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up to reduce transmission.

WHO Regional Committee Meeting

On 8 September 2026, health ministers from India and Sri Lanka discussed continued support for tuberculosis control on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Dili, Timor-Leste. The meeting involved Sri Lankan Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa and Indian Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Indian Air Force C-130J is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft used for airlift missions.
• The WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia is a statutory meeting of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region.
• India uses grants and technical assistance as part of its development partnership with Sri Lanka.
• District General Hospital, Mannar, received an Indian government grant of SLR 600 million for a new two-storey Accident and Emergency Unit on 16 September 2026.

Hospital Infrastructure Support

Construction of a new two-storey Accident and Emergency Unit began at District General Hospital, Mannar, on 16 September 2026. The project is funded by an Indian government grant of SLR 600 million.