The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka, supported by the Global Fund along with the National STD AIDS Control Programme(NSACP) of the Ministry of Health carry out diverse peer led HIV prevention interventions (Delivery of HIV and STI related information, health devices, encouraging access to counseling and testing services etc.) among most at risk populations such as female sex workers, men who have sex with men, drug users, beach boys and people who are living with HIV.

Peer education is an important component in achieving behaviour change. To this end, a 3 day training programme for 36 peer educators belonging to the Districts of Colombo, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Matara, Galle, Kurunegala, Ratnapura and Gampaha took place in February ( 7-9^th) at the Lassaliyan Community Education Training Centre in Modera.

Dr Geethani Samaraweera, Consultant, Venereologist. STD Clinic Kegalle and Dr Himali Perera, Consultant, Venereologist, NSACP were the resource persons together with Mr Nanayakkara Project officer, GFATM – FSW,BB component and Ms Priyanthi Sepalika Project Coordinator from FPA Sri Lanka.

Some of the topics of discussion were Sexuality, Sexual and Reproductive Health, distinctive issues and facts related to the most at risk populations in Sri Lanka, STI’s, homophobia and transgender phobia, mental health and substance abuse, principals of counseling and specifically HIV/AIDS counseling, communication and life skills development and behavior change communication.

FPA Sri Lanka operating as a key player in HIV prevention in Sri Lanka will continue to work in this tradition so that we may achieve our national goal of “Ending AIDS by 2025”: to be a country free of new HIV infections, discrimination and Aids related deaths”.