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UNFPA estimates one in five Lankans will be over 60 by 2030
It is estimated that by 2030, one in five people in Sri Lanka will be above the age of 60, with women making up the majority as they on average outlive their male counterparts, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Sri Lanka said yesterday.
It said that in Sri Lanka, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services are often inaccessible to persons living with disabilities due to barriers such as physical, financial, social, and psychological in nature.
While major progress has been made in the health sector over the years, challenges still exist in delivering comprehensive, non-discriminatory and client-oriented SRH services as SRH remains controversial and contested in many countries. Age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, economic status, social class, and other social, cultural and economic barriers pose major challenges to implementation of SRH care. The current COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities and discrimination of vulnerable groups, making their access to SRH and GBV-related services often challenging when they are needed most.
UNFPA in Sri Lanka once again partnered with the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) to organize a panel discussion at the SLMA International Medical Congress on the topic “Rights-based approach to delivering comprehensive SRH services for All in the new normal”. The session explored the accessibility of health care services for ALL in the context of quality enhancement with a specific focus on most left behind groups in our society.
In her opening remarks, UNFPA Representative in Sri Lanka, Ms. Ritsu Nacken said: “The on-going pandemic brought the issue of equity and equality to light more clearly than ever before. We must pay much more attention to social determinants of health, and equal access to quality SRH services has to be part of the universal health coverage.”
Professor Susan Sawyer stated that “Adolescents have the least access to health care of any age group – and that was before COVID-19! Given that adolescents’ unmet needs for mental health and sexual health care are greater than any other time in life, this is simply not acceptable”.
Looking at the aspect of maternal Health, Professor Hemantha Senanayake stated that “Sri Lanka has achieved much in the area of maternal and child health by focusing on the delivery of safety. However, indifference, ignorance and prejudices on the part of care providers are impeding the client’s experience of care. The time has come to take a more client-centric approach to service delivery.”
International expert and activist for the persons living with disabilities community, Ms. Tanzila Khan said “Family planning is a life time return for people and it is very important to involve everyone in this mission. Let’s join hands and bring more power to the work that all of us are doing to promote better health outcomes for all through involving right based approach.”
Dr Suchitra Dalvie stated that “Who do our bodies belong to? Our governments, our families, our country? If our bodies do indeed belong to our own selves, then we are the only ones who should decide what to do with them. Whether it is who we choose to love or have sex with or whether we choose to continue a pregnancy or not. That is what bodily autonomy means!”
The panel discussion followed the spirit of the Nairobi Summit, which marked the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in November last year. At the Nairobi Summit, the governments reaffirmed their commitment to the ICPD Programme of Action to ensure that all people have access to quality, comprehensive SRH care and that reproductive rights for all are upheld. The panel highlighted that rights and choices for all are a fundamental part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Sri Lanka Medical Association is the national professional medical association in Sri Lanka, which brings together medical practitioners of all grades and all branches of medicine. It is the oldest professional medical association in Asia and Australasia, with a proud history that dates back to 1887.
UNFPA is the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, that has been supporting the Government of Sri Lanka for close to 50 years in ensuring every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
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PCoI on Easter Sunday attacks:
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Attorney General Dappula de Livera, PC is not bound by recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (P CoI) into the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage, or presidential directives in that regard, according to authoritative sources.
They said that the AG couldn’t under any circumstances initiate legal proceedings until he had received the full PCoI report.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa received the PCoI report on Feb 1. The President’s Office delivered a set of PCoI reports to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Feb 23, a day after the report was presented to the cabinet of ministers. The Island raised the matter with relevant authorities in the wake of a section of the media reporting the PCoI recommending punitive measures against former President Maithripala Sirisena, Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, IGP Pujitha Jayasundera, Chief of State Intelligence Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, Chief of National Intelligence retired DIG Sisira Mendis and All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) leader and Samagi Jana Balavegaya MP Rishad Bathiudeen et al over the Easter Sunday carnage.
Sources pointed out that due to the inordinate delay in sharing the PCoI report with the AG, the department hadn’t been able to take preliminary measures required to initiate the proceedings. Sources said that a team of officers would take at least six weeks or more to examine the report before tangible measures could be taken.
With the AG scheduled to retire on May 24, 2021, even if the AG Department received the P CoI it would be quite a tough task to initiate proceedings ahead of retirement, sources said. However, in terms of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution enacted in last October, both the AG and the IGP could receive extensions beyond 60 at the President’s discretion.
Dappula de Livera received an Acting appointment as the AG a week after the Easter Sunday carnage whereas his predecessor Jayantha Jayasuriya, PC, was elevated to Chief Justice.
Responding to another query, sources said that the Attorney General two weeks ago requested Secretary to the President for a copy of the P CoI. However, the AG was yet to receive one, sources said. In spite of the AG not receiving a P CoI copy, the AG had instructed the IGP to obtain a copy of the report when he requested the police to complete investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage. The AG issued specific instructions after having examined police files pertaining to the investigations.
The IGP, too, hadn’t received a copy so far though some sections of the report were in the public domain.
Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage displayed at a live political programme on Derana a copy of the P CoI report he received at the cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
Sources said that the Attorney General’s Department couldn’t decide on a course of action in respect of the Easter carnage on the basis of a section of the report. In terms of the Commission of Inquiry Act (Section 24), the AG enjoyed significant powers/authority in respect of investigations; sources said adding that the Department urgently required both the P CoI report and police investigations report. The Attorney General’s Department has raised the delay in receiving a P CoI report amidst the Catholic Church attacking the government over the same issue.
Sources said that ministerial committee appointed to study the P CoI report couldn’t decide on how to proceed with the recommendations and the matter was entirely in the hands of the AG. Sources pointed out that the delay on the part of the government to release the report had received the attention of sections of the international media, including the New York Times. Public Security Minister retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera having met Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at the Bishop’s House on Dec 8, 2020 said that the AG would get a copy of the P CoI report once the President received it. Minister Weerasekera said that the CID had handed over the relevant files after having completed investigations into eight blasts. Referring to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) report on the Easter Sunday carnage, the former Navy Chief of Staff said that all such documents would have to be brought to one place and considered before initiating legal proceedings. Acknowledging that there could be delays, lawmaker Weerasekera said that on the instructions of the Attorney General a 12-member team of lawyers was working on the case. The minister vowed to expose the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attacks. Investigations continued while some of those wanted were overseas, the minister said.
The minister acknowledged that the Attorney General couldn’t proceed without the P CoI report. Minister Weerasekera reiterated that once the President received the P CoI report, it would be sent to the Attorney General. The minister said that there were documents two to three feet high that needed scrutiny. The minister assured comprehensive investigation. The minister said that investigations pertaining to eight blasts had been completed and the reports handed over to the AG. However, the Attorney General had found shortcomings in those investigations.
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By Saman Indrajith
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the Easter Sunday bombings had failed to identify the mastermind of , the JVP said yesterday.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, JVP Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said that the PCoI report had levelled accusations against former President Maithripala Sirisena, former IGP and head of intelligence for their dereliction of duty, shirking of responsibilities and not taking action to prevent the attacks and negligence. There were reference to the causes of the terror attacks and actions to be taken to avoid such attacks and the influence of extremist organisations. “However, there is no mention of the mastermind of the attacks, the handlers of the attackers and those whose interests the carnage served. It is also not mentioned whether there has been any foreign or local organisation behind those attacks. As per the PCoI report the attack took place as a result of culmination of extremism.
“According to the PCoI the extremist activities were a result of the prevailing political situation then. The entire nation was waiting to see who was responsible and who masterminded those attacks. The PCoI has failed to identify the true culprits responsible for the terror attacks. The report says that the leader of the suicide cadres killed himself in the attacks and it was a puzzle. That means those who are actually responsible for the attacks are still at large. The report does not provide exact details of the sources of the attacks. The PCoI had sittings for one year and five months. It summoned various persons and got their statements but it has failed to shed any light on the terror attacks. Everybody knows that the top leaders of the government and heads of security and intelligence establishments failed in their duties. Ranil Wickremesinghe was the second in command and he too is bound by the responsibility but the PCoI report fails to identify him as one of the persons against whom legal action should be instituted. The PCoI has treated Wickremesinghe and former President Maithripala Sirisena differently. We are not telling that this report is a total failure but we cannot accept this as a complete report. The PCoI handed over its report to the President on Feb 1. After 23 days it was sent to Parliament. Now, a copy of the report is there in the parliamentary library for the perusal of MPs.”
Herath said that the PCoI did not have powers to take punitive action. “It only has powers to name those responsible and recommend action to be taken against those named.
