September 1^st - Dr. Alvaro Bermejo- Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation visits partner organizations working with FPA Sri Lanka on HIV Prevention. Images were taken at the drop-in centre of Heart 2 Heart, an organisation that supports MSM, as well as transgender persons in Colombo.

Dr. Alvaro Bermejo- Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation visits a few of FPA Sri Lanka’s main Pharma Traders in Colombo. A Service Recognition Award was presented at each location. ( Healthguard – Thimbirigasyaya, Madanayake Pharmacy - Colombo 11 and Maxx Pharmacy - Colombo 11)

2^nd September (Today)

Dr. Alvaro Bermejo- Director General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation visits FPA Sri Lanka Head Office where a discussion with the Senior Management Team and Members of the National Council and the four Technical Advisory Committees (Medical, Information, Education and Communication, Sales and Marketing Programme and Youth) is currently taking place.

Dr Alvaro and Regional Director of IPPF SARO, Mr Varun Anand also visited FPA Sri Lanka’s new building in Narahenpita. To mark this occasion, a tree was planted this morning.

Dr. Alvaro Bermejo also met the staff, Peer Educators and Beach Boys (Key Population) attached to Samadhi Foundation in Hikkaduwa (Galle District).
This is one group considered to be a most at risk population for HIV infection in Sri Lanka. FPA Sri Lanka works with them in partnership with National STD/AIDs control programme under the National HIV/Prevention Project funded by the Global Fund. Activites under this project include Peer led targeted interventions that compise mobilizing high risk groups to change their risky behavior through providing counseling services, education, information, condoms, and most importantly escorting most at risk persons to STD clinics. Field level actions are coordinated, documented and regularly updated and data is fed into a secure centralized database in order to attain the Global Fund’s benchmark of accountability.