The ADT is committed to promoting good health and well-being across communities most
vulnerable to communicable diseases in Sri Lanka. We believe in communities living to their
fullest potential, especially in the most underprivileged regions. In early 2020, before the
COVID-19 crisis, our focus was creating awareness and eradicating leprosy. Following the
pandemic, the health sector also took on the challenges of fighting against COVID-19.
Anti-Leprosy Campaign
Since 2016, the ADT has mobilised interfaith leaders across the nation to become catalysts in leprosy-control by equipping them to reach out to their communities and create awareness in fighting the stigma against leprosy. These interfaith leaders play a significant role in organising leprosy control programmes and meetings across the island. This initiative is an essential part of the National Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Health, Nutrition, and Indigenous Medicine.
The overall goal of this campaign is to encourage and motivate early detection of leprosy; supporting leprosy eliminating targets mentioned in the national strategy of the Anti-Leprosy Campaign Sri Lanka (ALC Sri Lanka). As a result, the ADT has implemented 18 awareness programmes in 2020 and reached 1,532 people to support the district-level government leprosy control plan. This was implemented under the supervision of Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) allocated for leprosy prevention in each district.
Following the COVID-19 crisis, the ADT conducted interfaith meetings in Hambantota, Kandy, Galle and Nuwara Eliya with the interfaith leaders and PHIs. These meetings were based on raising awareness on COVID-19 and leprosy amongst villages in the area. We also distributed hand sanitisers, face masks and more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the interfaith leaders in Galle.
The ADT supported 271 people affected by leprosy with vouchers for a period of 03 months. These vouchers were handed over to the Anti-Leprosy Campaign at the annual review meeting held in Anuradhapura. These vouchers were distributed through the PHI network.
Relief packs were distributed to 23 Steering Committee Members.
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