Tracking delivery on manifesto promises

Implement programs to promote mental health among children and adolescents, focusing on preventing substance abuse and violence.

Why this status: The government has delivered school and youth programmes on mental well-being, counselling, screening and drug prevention. However, the cited progress record does not substantiate the pledge’s specific violence-prevention component, so this is assessed as partial delivery.

Establish an efficient pharmaceutical testing laboratory to ensure drug safety.

Why this status: The National Medicines Regulatory Authority currently operates a National Medicines Quality Assurance Laboratory that tests medicines and related products for quality, safety and efficacy. This substantially covers the function described in the pledge, but the laboratory predates the manifesto and the available evidence does not show that this government established or materially upgraded a new efficient pharmaceutical testing laboratory. The promise is therefore only partially creditable as a new delivery.

Introduce a patient charter to ensure accountability of health workers and protect patients’ rights.

Why this status: The Ministry of Health publishes a Citizen Charter dated 5 February 2024, before the NPP government took office. A patient-rights/accountability document therefore exists, but the available official evidence does not show that this government introduced a new patient charter or strengthened the existing one. It should not be credited as a newly fulfilled pledge.

Certify all laboratory tests and procedures in government health institutions according to ISO standards and provide 24/7 phone access to medical professionals and nurses.

Why this status: The official health policy repeats the ISO-certification component for laboratory tests and procedures, but does not include the manifesto’s separate 24/7 phone-access requirement for medical professionals and nurses. This is a partial match.

Introduce specialized geriatric clinics in disease prevention institutions for elderly care.

Why this status: The Ministry's Primary Healthcare Reforms 2024 provide for one or two divisional hospitals in each district to be upgraded to Base Hospital C with a focus on geriatric services and separate geriatric/palliative beds. This is meaningful elderly-care expansion, but it is not the promised network of specialised geriatric clinics in disease-prevention institutions, and the source does not confirm nationwide completion.

Establish an organization to regulate food-related advertisements and implement a code of ethics to ensure advertisements provide accurate information to consumers.

Why this status: Food-advertising regulation has progressed: the Ministry of Health lists Food (Labelling and Advertising) Regulations 2026 among the current regulations, and the related 2026 draft has been opened for public and industry comment. This is relevant to accurate consumer information. However, there is no official evidence that a dedicated food-advertising regulator or the promised standalone code of ethics has been established, so the full pledge is only partially delivered.

Establish an independent regulatory unit under the Ministry of Education to regulate the quality and fees of programs offered by existing private educational institutions.

Why this status: The official policy commits to an independent regulatory unit to regulate programmes at existing private educational institutions, but it does not include the manifesto’s separate fee-regulation requirement. This is a partial policy match, not full delivery.

Increase Mahapola and other bursaries in line with the cost of living index.

Why this status: Partly delivered. The Government increased the Mahapola scholarship by Rs. 10,000, but the published evidence does not establish a permanent cost-of-living indexation mechanism for Mahapola and the other bursaries named in the pledge.

Gradually increase the representation of women to 50% in all decision-making bodies, from Parliament to local government institutions.

Why this status: Parliament reports 22 women MPs in the Tenth Parliament, up from 12 in the Ninth, but this is about 9.8% of 225 seats and remains far below the 50% target. Official policy continues to call for equal representation, so this is measurable progress without target delivery.