This meeting was held in Sri Lanka as the health sector continued to meet international standards under the guidance of the Minister of Health, Nutrition & Indigenous Medicine, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne. Over 450 Epidemiologists took part in the International Epidemiological Association's South Asia regional group meeting. Through the meeting professionals across the world expect to foster closer ties to each other.
The International Epidemiological Association comprises of Epidemiologists spread across over 100 countries. The Association works in Sri Lanka with the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka. The event was themed 'Shaping a Healthy Future - Youth as a Smart Investment.' This theme, that is linked with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, focuses on the need to focus investments, financial and other, on the youth to ensure that a country can obtain development sustainably.