Krisantha Weerasuriya is a distinguished Sri Lankan physician and clinical pharmacologist with a wealth of experience in the field of medicines use. He began his medical training in Sri Lanka before completing postgraduate degrees in the United Kingdom in the 1980s. Since then, he has continued to educate himself on the latest developments in the field of medicines use, both in Sri Lanka and in the countries where he has worked.

Throughout his career, Krisantha has been a tireless advocate for better medicines use, working at national, regional, and global levels to promote ethical, scientific, and regulatory principles in the use of essential medicines. Up until his retirement in 2014, he held a range of roles, including physician, professor, medicines regulator, regional advisor for the World Health Organization (WHO), and finally as a Secretary of the WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines.

Krisantha’s professional journey has taken him to a range of organizations, including NGOs and civil society organizations, where he has worked on issues such as intellectual property, medicines pricing, health technology assessments, clinical trial monitoring, as well as health care financing mainly in middle and low income countries.

Overall, Krisantha Weerasuriya’s commitment to promoting better medicines use has been unwavering throughout his career. His dedication to ethical and scientific principles, provides for an optimistic outlook to the potential of essential medicines being realised for low and middle income countries within Universal Health Care in his lifetime.