Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2016-11-29

Amendments to the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance

- It is necessary to establish the legislative framework in the country to facilitate the operation of health strategies to prevent the spread of international diseases in a background where global links are created which generate major population flows along trade, tourism and labour in and out of the country. In the International Health Regulations (IHR-2005) to which Sri Lanka has become a signatory, provides a public health response to the international spread of diseases in ways that are commensurate with and restricted to public health risks, for the prevention of the spread of international diseases and their control and for the protection from such diseases, and avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade. As such, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senaratne, the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to instruct the Legal Draftsman to make the necessary amendments to the Quarantine and Prevention of diseases Ordinance presently in force in Sri Lanka to capture all the relevant articles of the said regulations for the implementation in Sri Lanka, was approved by the Cabinet.