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.
As part of the community-based rehabilitation project, a series of training programmes for the caregivers of the persons with disabilities were conducted from 24th to 25th November 2020 at the auditoriums of the MOH offices of Hingurakgoda, Thamankaduwa and Lankapura in the Polonnaruwa District. The programmes were conducted by Dr Ajith Kithsiri with the support of the Public Health Inspector for Leprosy and the FAIRMED Project Officer in the Polonnaruwa District. These programmes were supported by the World Health Organization, Sri Lanka.
As part of the community-based rehabilitation project, an awareness programme was conducted for members of selected community based organisations (CBOs) in the Munisirigama of Lankapura Medical Officer of Health area in the Polonnaruwa District. The programme was conducted by the Public Health Inspector for Leprosy. The CBO members were made aware of the situation of persons with disabilities living in the district and island wide and the services to be rendered by them, in the hope of enabling them to follow up and monitor persons with disabilities in their area. This programme was supported by the World Health Organization, Sri Lanka with the participation of the Acting Regional Epidemiologist and FAIRMED Project Officer for Polonnaruwa District.
A ring survey was conducted in the Ranwala village in the Pallebedda Public Health Inspector area belonging to the Godakawela Medical Officer of Health area of Rathnapura District. All the participants were screened and made aware of skin diseases including Leprosy during this survey. The survey was conducted by the Medical Officer of Health - Godakawela, Additional Medical Officer of Health, the Supervisory Public Health Inspector, the Public Health Inspector for Leprosy, Public Health Inspector of the area, Public Health Nursing Sister and a Nursing Officer of the Godakawela Divisional Hospital. This survey was coordinated by the Project Officer of FAIRMED Foundation.
In an attempt to reduce stigma and discrimination against persons affected with leprosy, through public awareness, a wall art was completed at Anuruddha Balika Vidyalaya in the D3 Medical Officer of Health area in the Colombo Municipal Council. This programme was coordinated by the Public Health Inspector for leprosy of Colombo Municipal Council and a Health Instructor of the D3 Medical Officer of Health area and the Project Officer of FAIRMED Foundation.
As part of the community-based rehabilitation project, an awareness programme was conducted for members of selected community based organisations (CBOs) in the Al Hilalpura area of Thambala in the Lankapura Medical Officer of Health area in the Polonnaruwa District. The programme was conducted by the Public Health Inspector for Leprosy. The CBO members were made aware of the situation of persons with disabilities living in the district and island wide and the services to be rendered by them, in the hope of enabling them to follow up and monitor persons with disabilities in their area. This programme was supported by the World Health Organization, Sri Lanka and was coordinated by the FAIRMED Project Officer of Polonnaruwa.
A ring survey was conducted in the Mudduwa village in the Ethoya Public Health Inspector area belonging to the Ratnapura (PS) Medical Officer of Health area. All the participants were screened and made aware about skin diseases including Leprosy during this survey. The survey was conducted by the Medical Officer of Health - Ratnapura (PS), Additional Medical Officer of Health, the Supervisory Public Health Inspector, the Public Health Inspector for Leprosy, Public Health Inspector of the area and a Public Health Nursing Sister. This survey was coordinated by the Project Officer of FAIRMED Foundation.
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 Horankadura village in the Opanayaka Medical Officer of Health area belonging to the Ratnapura District. All the participants were screened and made aware about skin diseases including Leprosy during this survey. The survey was conducted by the Medical Officer of Health - Opanayake, the Supervisory Public Health Inspector, Public Health Inspector of the area, the Public Health Inspector for Leprosy and a Nursing Officer of Hunuwala Primary Hospital. This survey was coordinated by the Project Officer of FAIRMED Foundation.
FAIRMED Sri Lanka launched a community-based rehabilitation (CBR) project in the Thamankaduwa, Hingurakgoda and Lankapura Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas in the district of Polonnaruwa, where service delivery especially for rehabilitation is particularly poor as a result of limited accessibility to healthcare services, poverty and poor knowledge regarding the availability of services. Through this project, it is expected to improve the quality of life of people affected by disabilities as well as empower them to take greater control of their lives.
As one of the steps taken to achieve this objective, an awareness programme was conducted on the 21st of October, 2020 by the District Public Health Inspector for Leprosy for members of a community-based organization in the village of Anikat Patula, Galamuna in the Lankapura MOH area to educate them on disability and rehabilitation in view of obtaining their support to rehabilitate the persons with disabilities in their own homes. The programme was supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), Sri Lanka.