Sri Lanka has taken an important step in advancing a national dialogue on strengthening its clinical research ecosystem. Stakeholders emphasized that improving research governance is not only a technical or administrative reform, but a strategic investment in the country’s scientific credibility, global visibility and future role as a regional research leader.
/countries/sri-lanka/flyer-on-slma-slctr-session---24-july-2026.png?sfvrsn=ea4e9878_3 "Brainstorming session on minimizing barriers to interventional research in Sri Lanka")
The national forum, convened by the Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Medical Association during the International Medical Congress 2026, brought together key stakeholders to discuss how Sri Lanka can make research review, ethics approval, regulatory clearance and trial registration more efficient, predictable and internationally competitive. WHO Sri Lanka contributed to the forum and subsequent round-table discussions, supporting reflections on how the country can move from fragmented approval pathways towards an integrated, transparent and accountable national research management system. As a member of the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform network, SLCTR has continued to strengthen clinical trial registration and alignment with global norms. The forum built on this progress and reflected a shared commitment to further strengthen Sri Lanka’s clinical trial environment.
Stakeholders from the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, the National Research Council of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Medicines Regulatory Authority, the Forum for Research Ethics Committees in Sri Lanka, academia, national and international universities, and clinical investigator groups emphasized the need to preserve ethical and scientific rigour while reducing duplication, administrative burden, unpredictable timelines and unclear sequencing across the research approval pathway.
/countries/sri-lanka/participants-engaging-at-slctr-forum.jpg?sfvrsn=72eea42b_4 "Participants engaging at SLCTR forum")
The round-table discussion that followed the forum provided an opportunity for a deeper exchange on regulatory and process barriers that delay research implementation or discourage potential research collaborations. Issues around bringing clarity, avoid duplications and harmonization of research ethics and approval process submissions were deliberated in detail. In addition to short-term actions to improve current review and approval processes, Participants voiced on the need to move towards an integrated research registration and management platform in collaboration with WHO, as a single-entry point for regulatory approval, ethics approval and trial registration.
/countries/sri-lanka/participants-and-speakers-at-the-slctr-forum-at-slma-academic-congress.jpg?sfvrsn=81e426b1_6 "Participants and speakers at the SLCTR forum at SLMA academic congress")
WHO emphasized that Sri Lanka’s research ecosystem needs a next-level transformation, supported by a diagnostic review and agreed reform roadmap across governance, regulation, ethics review, quality assurance, approvals and research management.
WHO Sri Lanka outlined a vision for an integrated national research registration and approval platform, not simply to digitize existing processes, but to create a transparent, accountable pathway connecting researchers, ethics committees, regulators, universities, funders and government institutions.
Such a platform could reduce duplication, improve predictability, enable appropriate parallel processing, track applications and timelines, clarify responsibilities, and provide national oversight of approved studies, bottlenecks and system performance.
An advanced research management platform would enhance research competitiveness and researchers trust in pursuing research and align Sri Lanka with advanced research environments, improve ease of doing research and strengthen accountability across the board.
This would also strengthen Sri Lanka’s global research positioning by building confidence among partners and helping attract international collaboration, research investment, technology transfer and participation in advanced studies.
WHO Sri Lanka reaffirmed its commitment to support national stakeholders in developing practical, globally aligned pathways that strengthen research quality, management systems and responsiveness to national priorities. WHO will plan subsequent consultations on moving ahead with national research platform as a strategic investment in Sri Lanka to enhance scientific credibility and support timely, ethical and scientifically robust studies that benefit Sri Lanka and contribute to global health