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FAIRMED initiated the ‘VAIHARI’ project in June 2022 under an agreement signed with the Chief Secretary of the Northern Province. The First Phase of the project will continue until the end of 2026. Currently the project is being implemented in the Districts of Jaffna and Kilinochchi.

With a goal to improve health and well-being, involving everyone in the targeted communities of the Northern province, the VAIHARAI project takes a two-pronged approach to implement the activities with the support of the Health and the Non-health sectors.
Through this collaboration, the main aim is to strengthen the local health system for the prevention and control of NTDs. Building the capacity of the health actors as well as enhancing the quality of services for NTDs for the targeted communities through intersectoral collaboration and building partnerships is also an important component of the project.

The partnership with the non-health system involves the cooperation with the Provincial Departments of Social Services and Rural Development, District and Divisional Secretariats, Organizations for Persons with Disabilities, and Women Societies, with the goal to empower Persons with Disabilities and Vulnerable Women.

A new component was incorporated under this project to provide Psychosocial Support for the internally displaced, resettled and relocated persons in the two districts.

Wall arts are an important method of creating awareness among the community especially among the school children. To achieve this objective, a wall art was created at Kaudulla Maha Vidyalaya in the Hingurakgoda Medical Officer of Health area in Polonnaruwa. The artwork was a creation by W.G. Pramudika Nikini Bandara, a student of the school who competed in the senior section of the art competition held to commemorate World Leprosy Day in 2019. This was coordinated by the Polonnaruwa District Project Officer of FAIRMED Foundation.

A ring survey was conducted in the Damanewewa village of the Siripura Medical Officer of Health area of the Polonnaruwa District on the 11th of October 2021. All the participants were screened and made aware of skin diseases including Leprosy during this survey. The survey was conducted by the Regional Epidemiologist with the support of the staff of the Regional Epidemiology unit, PHI Leprosy, Range PHIs, and the FAIRMED Project Officer in the Polonnaruwa District.

An awareness programme on leprosy was conducted on the 2nd of December, 2020 at the auditorium of the Thamankaduwa Pradeshiya Sabha in Polonnaruwa district for their staff members. ​The programme was conducted with the support of the staff of the Regional Epidemiology Unit, Public Health Inspector for Leprosy, Range Public Health Inspector​ along with the FAIRMED Project Officer in the Polonnaruwa District. 

A school screening clinic for the students in grade 8 and 9 was conducted at the Ira Handa Ketuwawewa Maha Vidyalaya belonging to Elahera Medical Officer of Health area in the Polonnaruwa District on the 17th December, 2020. The school students were screened for skin conditions including for leprosy. The screening was conducted with the support of the staff of the Regional Epidemiology Unit, the Supervisory Public Health Inspector, Public Health Inspector for Leprosy, Range Public Health Inspector, Public Health Midwife along with the FAIRMED Project Officer in the Polonnaruwa District.