?COLOMBO, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Sri Lanka as a rubella-free country, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Health Ministry's Media Secretary Nipun Ekanayake said in a statement that the certificate declaring Sri Lanka as a rubella-free country was given to Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne by WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, Poonam Khetrapal Singh.

"Sri Lanka was declared as a malaria free country in 2015, filaria free country in 2016 and Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) free country in 2017 by the WHO," Singh said.

This declaration of Sri Lanka as a rubella free country was another landmark for the healthcare services in 2018, Singh added.

The WHO regional director pointed out that Sri Lanka eliminates a disease every year, praising the country's leadership in health services as a big support for the achievements.