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The Institute for Health Policy (IHP) is an independent, non-profit Sri Lankan health think tank based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. IHP seeks to support informed policy making in health and related sectors in Sri Lanka and other countries, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, through research and other activities. As a leading regional center of excellence in health policy and financing, IHP has both supported and been involved in numerous regional collaborations and partnerships. IHP brings extensive experience working in or with most of the Learning Network for Countries in Transition (LNCT) countries in the region, as well as collaboration with international agencies such as WHO, GFATM, UNICEF, World Bank and ADB.
IHP hopes to bring its experience of regional collaborations to our partnership with R4D as a Network Coordinator for LNCT in the Asia Pacific Region. As R4D’s regional partner, will support network members and R4D in network coordination and technical facilitation, primarily in the Asia Pacific Region as well as potentially provide technical support beyond the region. Given Sri Lanka’s rich experience maintaining and strengthening its Gavi transition, it remains an important part of the LNCT community as an Ambassador country, and this partnership will help strengthen its role as an important resource country for other members.
The IHP team will be managed by the Institute’s Executive Director, Dr. Ravindra Rannan-Eliya. Dr. Rannan-Eliya is a physician and an economist with extensive expertise and experience in health systems research in developing country contexts, and experience in managing and partnering large multi-investigator projects involving both developed and developing country researchers. He has also initiated and helped lead a number of large global health systems research collaborations.
Dr. Anuji Gamage, a Community Medicine Consultant, will provide technical leadership in the IHP team. Dr. Gamage recently joined the medical faculty of the Kotelawala Defense University after many years working in technical positions in the Ministry of Health, including as a regional chief epidemiologist and in the policy and planning arms of the health ministry. In addition to her public health expertise, Dr. Gamage brings a personal interest and expertise in health economics and previous work on economic evaluation of vaccine introductions in Sri Lanka.
IHP Project Associate, Ruwanthi Elwalagedara, will provide the team additional support, functioning as the focal point for all communications, logistical, administrative and operational support issues.