Chemsex, or sexualized drug use, is an emerging public health concern in Sri Lanka, particularly among men who have sex with men and transgender communities. To address this, The Global Fund's Regional Grant: SKPA-2, in collaboration with APCOM, Health Equity Matters, and The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka, conducted a Training of Peer Trainers (T.o.T) on ‘Drug Use in Sexualized Settings’.

This intensive programme equipped 20 selected peer trainers with in-depth knowledge of chemsex, harm reduction strategies, and facilitation techniques to cascade awareness within their communities. The training incorporated trilingual e-modules, interactive sessions, real-world case discussions, and practical facilitation skill-building to ensure a non-judgmental, culturally sensitive approach.

The T.o.T also field-tested community materials in Sinhala and Tamil, strengthening participants’ capacity to lead future training sessions. This initiative ensures sustained knowledge-sharing and harm-reduction efforts across Sri Lanka.

Stay tuned for updates as these trainers take their learnings back to the community!