Dr. Alvaro Bermejo- Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation visited FPA Sri Lanka’s Service Delivery Point (SDP) in Koggala. The Organization’s aim in establishing SDP's, in strategic locations Island-wide is to increase access to quality Sexual and Reproductive Health services. Together with dedicated staff, we have a dynamic team of Volunteer Health Assistants who serve the community.

Thereafter, he visited Aitken Spence Garments in the Koggala Industrial Zone, where an FPA Sri Lanka mobile clinic was being carried out.

Mobile Clinics are special outreach activities undertaken to take Sexual and Reproductive Health and general health services to the people. They are usually held in rural areas, in pockets of urban poverty, under-served areas as well as hard to reach areas.
Estate and apparel factory employees fall into this category as well. Such employees are low income earners, with extensive working hours, and are dependent on the factory/estate for addressing their needs. These workers do not get an opportunity to access information and facilities especially healthcare making them vulnerable to STI’s and unintended pregnancies.

In the afternoon, Dr. Alvaro Bermejo made a quick visit to observe FPA Sri Lanka’s in-house operations - Stores and Packing Departments located at the Head Office. Products are distributed through an island-wide dealer network using our own sales team and agents.

Dr. Alvaro Bermejo- Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation attended a meeting with key stakeholders and Government Officials at FPA Sri Lanka Head Office.
Participants included, Dr Sanjeewa Godakanda (Consultant Community Physician and focal point for Family Planning Programme at Family Health Bureau), from the National STD/AIDS Control Programme of Sri Lanka (NSACP) ), Dr. Weerasinghe (Consultant Venereologist) and Dr Ariyaratne (Consultant Venereologist), Dr Nilmini Hemachandra from World Health Organisation, Dr Siyambalagoda -Country Coordinating Mechanism Sri Lanka (CCMSL) and Ms Ahila Subadeesh ( Project Support Officer –HIV), Ms Lingyi Wei ( UN University Volunteer for Comprehensive Health Education) from the UNFPA and Dr Abeykoon- Demographer.

Thereafter an interactive media session took place with correspondents from the Sunday Observer, The Sunday Times , Daily FT and the Daily News attending.

Dr Alvaro also had a discussion with Hon.Buddhika Pathirana Deputy Minister of Ministry of Industry and Commerce together with FPA Sri Lanka Executive Director Ms Thushara Agus and Mr Varun Anand, IPPF SARO Regional Director to discuss the need for expanding SRH services to the Export Processing Zones, services to key populations and HIV prevention activities and strategies in Sri Lanka.