Dr. Ruchitha Perera was appointed as the Executive Director of The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka (FPA) with effect from the 1^st of October 2023.

Announcing his appointment, Mrs. Aruni Marcelline, President of the FPA said, “He brings valuable leadership experience, deep passion for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and is hugely enthusiastic about helping lead the Association into our next chapter.”

Dr. Perera takes over the reins from Mrs. Thushara Agus, who completed a 13-year stint at the Association. During her tenure, some of the key milestones and achievements of SRHR programme expansion are initiating projects with The Global Fund’s national scale HIV programme since 2013 in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the government of Sri Lanka, opening of clinics in Industrial Zones to reach out to young, under-served groups and the expansion of the Social Marketing Programme to the North and East and growing the revenue significantly. On the international front, winning the IPPF tender in 2015 to host the global “Social Enterprise Knowledge Hub” at FPA Sri Lanka and winning the Best Member Association Award in 2019 stand out. Constructing a purpose-driven Head Office building for FPA Sri Lanka in Colombo 5 and increasing the local income generation with multiple income streams are sustainability efforts that will hold the Association in good stead.

Dr. Perera is a marketing veteran with over 30 years of experience in corporate management, education, business consulting and training. He specialises in the areas of financial sustainability and digital transformation. He has also provided leadership to several global organisations and currently serves as a Board Director of the prestigious Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK. 

“I am deeply committed to realising the FPA Sri Lanka vision for a country where everyone’s reproductive health and rights are fulfilled, without any stigma or discrimination”, Dr. Perera said.

“As Executive Director, I will focus on pursuing FPA’s transformative goals, which are cemented in our new Strategic Plan 2023-2028. Addressing sexual reproductive health challenges require a multi-faceted approach involving collaboration between governments, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, and the international donor community. Strategies should focus on expanding access to services, reducing stigma, securing sustainable funding, advocating for policy changes, and investing in healthcare workforce development.”

Today, FPA is positioned as Sri Lanka’s only Civil Society Organisation focusing on SRHR and commemorates 70 years of dedicated and untiring efforts. FPA is excited about this next phase of leadership and looks forward to inspiring and achieving greater impact in the sphere of SRHR.