Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen has inaugurated the Public Health Fund.
The Public Health Fund was inaugurated during the National Forum on Revitalizing Public Health held at Paradise Island Resort. The Public Health Protection Act passed in 2012 makes it obligatory to open a Public Health Fund to safeguard and address public health issues facing the country. However, the Public Health Fund was not established or inaugurated in the past 7 years.
After inaugurating the Public Health Fund, Health Minister Ameen said the health sector will work to raise funds to address public health issues and called on businesses to contribute to the fund.
Responding to questions from the media, Health Ministry's Deputy Director General of Policy Planning and International Health Aishath Saamiya said though the fund has not been established for the past seven years, the administration has continued to increase spending on the public health sector. She expressed hope the health sector will continue to progress and become more efficient with the inauguration of the Public Health Fund.