Northern Province Governor urges Japan support for healthcare and waste management

The Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vedanayagam, has called on the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to extend its support towards strengthening healthcare services and improving waste management across the province.

The appeal was made during a meeting held on Wednesday at the Governor’s Secretariat between Vedanayagam and JICA’s Country Director in Sri Lanka, Kenji Kuronuma. The discussion focused on development priorities in the Northern Province, which continues to face structural challenges following decades of conflict and underinvestment.

During the meeting, the Governor expressed his appreciation for JICA’s long-standing contributions to development initiatives in the Northern Province, noting the agency’s role in supporting various sectors over the years.

Highlighting the province’s current needs, Vedanayagam said that waste management has become a major challenge, stressing the urgent requirement for systematic and sustainable solutions. He also underscored that improvements to healthcare infrastructure have become a pressing necessity, particularly in light of recent environmental and public health pressures.

Responding to the Governor’s remarks, JICA Country Director Kenji Kuronuma said that this visit marked his first official trip to the Northern Province since assuming office in Sri Lanka. He expressed his pleasure at being in the region and participating in the “Northern Investment Summit.”

Kuronuma further noted that, in line with a request made by Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during his visit to Japan last year, several new development projects are scheduled to be implemented during the course of this year. He added that a number of these initiatives will be carried out through the Department of Animal Production and Health.

During the discussion, Kuronuma also inquired about the damage sustained by the Northern Province’s healthcare sector as a result of Cyclone Dithwa. He emphasised that the Sri Lankan government should encourage the development of essential infrastructure facilities in order to attract both domestic and foreign investors to the region.

The meeting was attended by the Secretary to the Northern Province Governor and the Governor’s Coordinating Secretaries.