Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation support for Sri Lanka President’s Office

Global Health Strategies, by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and its local partner Connect to Care Organization, are to establish a Program Support Unit within the President’s Office, Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said.

Cabinet approval has been granted to take necessary steps concerning the policy support proposed to be provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the President’s Office.

The government said the Office of the President plays an important role in the ongoing reform programs by providing guidance on policy issues and monitoring government programs. 

For this purpose, the President’s Office maintains coordination with several multi-stakeholder organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund’s Comprehensive Funding Facility, the World Bank’s Development Policy Operational Program, Asian Development Bank’s Policy Assistance Programs, etc. and interacts with various public and private sector stakeholders. 

The government further said that Global Health Strategies, an international organization established by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest charitable foundations, and its local partner Connect to Care Organization, have agreed to establish a Program Support Unit to support the President’s Office with these programs and to act as partners providing active contributions to the Government of Sri Lanka. 

An Executive Committee consisting of senior officials will be appointed to ensure proper coordination for the proper implementation of the various programs being implemented by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it added. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers took into consideration the matters presented by the President regarding the policy support proposed to be provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the Presidential Secretariat and has approved to take necessary steps in this regard.