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Sri Lanka

Articles by Sri Lanka

Dr. Rohan Jayasuriya and midwife Chaturika Lakmale

"One pregnant woman was delivering at this time, so she had to go on a boat to dry land"

Incessant rains across Sri Lanka during May 2017 affected over half a million people in seven districts. Most affected was the Ratnapura district where over 20,000 people faced flash floods, and where 46 deaths were reported. IPPF Humanitarian, in partnership with FPA Sri Lanka, responded to this catastrophe through the distribution of over 700 dignity kits in Ratnapura Dr. Rohan Jayasuriya and midwife Chaturika Lakmale were on the ground during and after the floods providing family planning services and contraception to women affected by the disaster. “When the floods came our clinic was located on higher ground, so it wasn’t damaged. The floods finished on the 31 May 2017, and we reopened one day later on the 1 June 2017. After the floods, we arranged several special clinics just for family planning, and distributed condoms and emergency supplies of the pill to camps in case women missed their regular form of contraception like injectables, implants or IUDs. In Sri Lanka, approximately 67% of couples use family planning, 26% of which prefer IUDs” We offered condoms and emergency supply of the pill. We told women to keep one packet of the pill in their handbag, and one in their home, should they ever have to run quickly in an emergency. One pregnant woman was delivering at this time, so she had to go on a boat to dry land, and then onwards in a vehicle to the hospital. Once we reopened the clinic, two of our own midwives were unable to attend work as the floods had affected them, but I was here. It was so busy.” Stories Read more stories from Sri Lanka

Mother will children at clinic

"I looked up and saw trees falling near my neighbour’s house up the hill. My neighbours died"

Incessant rains across Sri Lanka during May 2017 affected over half a million people in seven districts. Most affected was the Ratnapura district where over 20,000 people faced flash floods. “When the flood came, my husband was feeding my eldest child and the baby was asleep in the bed. I was outside of the house. My mother was brushing her teeth outside the back of the house. I looked up and saw trees falling near my neighbour’s house up the hill. My neighbours died. I couldn’t take any possessions – I just had to run for my life. My husband took my younger child. They were all screaming. Since then, I have had my children checked here in the Ministry of Health clinic; their weight, height and nutrition. We had two houses on the one block of land, but we will only get compensation for one house. We can’t live in a tent with a baby so are currently renting a house with our own money, but for a while my mother and father slept in this clinic.” Stories Read more stories from Sri Lanka

The aftermath of the floods
23 August 2017

Flash floods in Sri Lanka affected over half a million people

Incessant monsoonal rains during the last week of May 2017 triggered floods and landslides across Sri Lanka, affecting over half a million people and according to national authorities, killing over 200 people.  Natural disasters like this disproportionately affect women and girls. They experience sexual violence, unwanted pregnancies and are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections. Healthcare facilities are often compromised, so pregnant women miss out on essential prenatal care. The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka immediately responded to this catastrophe through the distribution of dignity kits and holding awareness sessions on gender based violence. To provide further care and support, a series of mobile medical clinics were established. Priyanka, 32, is eight months pregnant when we meet her at one of the many mobile health clinics established after the floods. “I was five months pregnant when the floods came. I had to go to my friend’s house up the mountain for safety with my 2.5-year-old daughter,” she said. Standing outside her house later, a stone’s throw from the river banks, you can imagine how terrifying it would have been to watch the flood waters rise to your house. Priyanka and her family were unharmed, but her husband’s business was destroyed, affecting their livelihoods.   “When the floods came into our house, all my husband’s machines that he used for his dahl business were destroyed by the water. We are having them repaired now. All the people from our village came to clean up my house. The doctor came to my area and checked all the pregnant mothers. This is my second time now visiting this health clinic.” The clinic, located in the Nagoda District, reopened mere days after the floods, Midwife Chaturika Lakmale tells us proudly, despite some of the midwives being unable to return to work themselves due to the floods. ‘We offered condoms and emergency supplies of the pill’, she tells us. FPA-SL are one of the most expansive and well-known NGOs in Sri Lanka that offer family planning, sexual and reproductive healthcare. Because of this, in times of emergency, they are well positioned to understand the local context. ‘We told women to keep one packet of the contraceptive pill in their handbag, and one in their home, should they ever have to run quickly in an emergency’, said Chaturika. Staff in our mobile health clinics, like Dr Rohan Jayasuriya, are strongly committed to sexual and reproductive rights in Sri Lanka. ‘Abortion is illegal in Sri Lanka, except if the mother’s life is at risk. It costs 30,000 – 40,000 Sri Lankan rupees for a backyard abortion. If complications arise, they have to go to hospital, but then a legal case might be filed against them. That’s why family planning - in stable settings but also emergencies - is so important.’ Stories Read more stories from Nepal

Woman receiving dignity kit.
23 August 2017

Over 1,000 dignity kits distributed after flash floods in Sri Lanka

Incessant rains across Sri Lanka during May 2017 affected over half a million people in seven districts. Most affected was the Ratnapura district where over 20,000 people faced flash floods, and where 46 deaths were reported. IPPF Humanitarian, in partnership with FPA Sri Lanka, responded to this catastrophe through the distribution of over 1,000 dignity kits in Ratnapura.   Stories Read more stories about our humanitarian work in Sri Lanka during the floods

Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka

Established in 1953, The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka (FPA Sri Lanka), pioneered the concept of family planning in the country and is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that explores innovative and challenging processes of family planning in Sri Lanka. We are proud to be one of the most expansive and well known NGO's in the country that focuses on family planning, Sexual and Reproductive Health and welfare.

Today FPASL focuses on providing services to marginalized and under-served communities, growing its SRH product range to enhance consumer choice and advocacy to ensure SRHR of all people in the country.

FPA Sri Lanka advocates to increase political commitment to sexual and reproductive health education (with political and religious leaders).  FPA works with community members specially youth to change norms and attitudes towards SRHR. It promotes the right to access SRH education through island-wide workshops.  It seeks to eradicate unsafe abortion and liberalise abortion laws, and it aims to foster community involvement in projects. FPA works with the LGBTIQ community to address stigma and discrimination faced by the community.

FPASL has six Service Delivery Points. Clinics offer a comprehensive range of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. These include contraception, counselling, diagnostic services, HIV and STI screening and voluntary counselling and testing. FPA Sri Lanka works closely both with the Ministry of Health.

The average number of clients per year is 85,862, and average number of SRH services provided is 430,404.

The Member Association also addresses key SRH and relationship issues faced by young through the Happy Life Call Centre. This centre provides information on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to the general public through a range of new media tools.

FPA Sri Lanka has developed a highly successful Social Marketing Programme (contraceptives). Today it’s the market leader in this product category and contributes around 40% of the total CYPs generated in Sri Lanka. By making a range of contraceptive products available to the consumers and supplementing it by the free FP services provided by the government, Sri Lanka has recorded a CPR of around 70%.

Dr. Rohan Jayasuriya and midwife Chaturika Lakmale

"One pregnant woman was delivering at this time, so she had to go on a boat to dry land"

Incessant rains across Sri Lanka during May 2017 affected over half a million people in seven districts. Most affected was the Ratnapura district where over 20,000 people faced flash floods, and where 46 deaths were reported. IPPF Humanitarian, in partnership with FPA Sri Lanka, responded to this catastrophe through the distribution of over 700 dignity kits in Ratnapura Dr. Rohan Jayasuriya and midwife Chaturika Lakmale were on the ground during and after the floods providing family planning services and contraception to women affected by the disaster. “When the floods came our clinic was located on higher ground, so it wasn’t damaged. The floods finished on the 31 May 2017, and we reopened one day later on the 1 June 2017. After the floods, we arranged several special clinics just for family planning, and distributed condoms and emergency supplies of the pill to camps in case women missed their regular form of contraception like injectables, implants or IUDs. In Sri Lanka, approximately 67% of couples use family planning, 26% of which prefer IUDs” We offered condoms and emergency supply of the pill. We told women to keep one packet of the pill in their handbag, and one in their home, should they ever have to run quickly in an emergency. One pregnant woman was delivering at this time, so she had to go on a boat to dry land, and then onwards in a vehicle to the hospital. Once we reopened the clinic, two of our own midwives were unable to attend work as the floods had affected them, but I was here. It was so busy.” Stories Read more stories from Sri Lanka

Mother will children at clinic

"I looked up and saw trees falling near my neighbour’s house up the hill. My neighbours died"

Incessant rains across Sri Lanka during May 2017 affected over half a million people in seven districts. Most affected was the Ratnapura district where over 20,000 people faced flash floods. “When the flood came, my husband was feeding my eldest child and the baby was asleep in the bed. I was outside of the house. My mother was brushing her teeth outside the back of the house. I looked up and saw trees falling near my neighbour’s house up the hill. My neighbours died. I couldn’t take any possessions – I just had to run for my life. My husband took my younger child. They were all screaming. Since then, I have had my children checked here in the Ministry of Health clinic; their weight, height and nutrition. We had two houses on the one block of land, but we will only get compensation for one house. We can’t live in a tent with a baby so are currently renting a house with our own money, but for a while my mother and father slept in this clinic.” Stories Read more stories from Sri Lanka

The aftermath of the floods
23 August 2017

Flash floods in Sri Lanka affected over half a million people

Incessant monsoonal rains during the last week of May 2017 triggered floods and landslides across Sri Lanka, affecting over half a million people and according to national authorities, killing over 200 people.  Natural disasters like this disproportionately affect women and girls. They experience sexual violence, unwanted pregnancies and are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections. Healthcare facilities are often compromised, so pregnant women miss out on essential prenatal care. The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka immediately responded to this catastrophe through the distribution of dignity kits and holding awareness sessions on gender based violence. To provide further care and support, a series of mobile medical clinics were established. Priyanka, 32, is eight months pregnant when we meet her at one of the many mobile health clinics established after the floods. “I was five months pregnant when the floods came. I had to go to my friend’s house up the mountain for safety with my 2.5-year-old daughter,” she said. Standing outside her house later, a stone’s throw from the river banks, you can imagine how terrifying it would have been to watch the flood waters rise to your house. Priyanka and her family were unharmed, but her husband’s business was destroyed, affecting their livelihoods.   “When the floods came into our house, all my husband’s machines that he used for his dahl business were destroyed by the water. We are having them repaired now. All the people from our village came to clean up my house. The doctor came to my area and checked all the pregnant mothers. This is my second time now visiting this health clinic.” The clinic, located in the Nagoda District, reopened mere days after the floods, Midwife Chaturika Lakmale tells us proudly, despite some of the midwives being unable to return to work themselves due to the floods. ‘We offered condoms and emergency supplies of the pill’, she tells us. FPA-SL are one of the most expansive and well-known NGOs in Sri Lanka that offer family planning, sexual and reproductive healthcare. Because of this, in times of emergency, they are well positioned to understand the local context. ‘We told women to keep one packet of the contraceptive pill in their handbag, and one in their home, should they ever have to run quickly in an emergency’, said Chaturika. Staff in our mobile health clinics, like Dr Rohan Jayasuriya, are strongly committed to sexual and reproductive rights in Sri Lanka. ‘Abortion is illegal in Sri Lanka, except if the mother’s life is at risk. It costs 30,000 – 40,000 Sri Lankan rupees for a backyard abortion. If complications arise, they have to go to hospital, but then a legal case might be filed against them. That’s why family planning - in stable settings but also emergencies - is so important.’ Stories Read more stories from Nepal

Woman receiving dignity kit.
23 August 2017

Over 1,000 dignity kits distributed after flash floods in Sri Lanka

Incessant rains across Sri Lanka during May 2017 affected over half a million people in seven districts. Most affected was the Ratnapura district where over 20,000 people faced flash floods, and where 46 deaths were reported. IPPF Humanitarian, in partnership with FPA Sri Lanka, responded to this catastrophe through the distribution of over 1,000 dignity kits in Ratnapura.   Stories Read more stories about our humanitarian work in Sri Lanka during the floods

Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka

Established in 1953, The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka (FPA Sri Lanka), pioneered the concept of family planning in the country and is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that explores innovative and challenging processes of family planning in Sri Lanka. We are proud to be one of the most expansive and well known NGO's in the country that focuses on family planning, Sexual and Reproductive Health and welfare.

Today FPASL focuses on providing services to marginalized and under-served communities, growing its SRH product range to enhance consumer choice and advocacy to ensure SRHR of all people in the country.

FPA Sri Lanka advocates to increase political commitment to sexual and reproductive health education (with political and religious leaders).  FPA works with community members specially youth to change norms and attitudes towards SRHR. It promotes the right to access SRH education through island-wide workshops.  It seeks to eradicate unsafe abortion and liberalise abortion laws, and it aims to foster community involvement in projects. FPA works with the LGBTIQ community to address stigma and discrimination faced by the community.

FPASL has six Service Delivery Points. Clinics offer a comprehensive range of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. These include contraception, counselling, diagnostic services, HIV and STI screening and voluntary counselling and testing. FPA Sri Lanka works closely both with the Ministry of Health.

The average number of clients per year is 85,862, and average number of SRH services provided is 430,404.

The Member Association also addresses key SRH and relationship issues faced by young through the Happy Life Call Centre. This centre provides information on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to the general public through a range of new media tools.

FPA Sri Lanka has developed a highly successful Social Marketing Programme (contraceptives). Today it’s the market leader in this product category and contributes around 40% of the total CYPs generated in Sri Lanka. By making a range of contraceptive products available to the consumers and supplementing it by the free FP services provided by the government, Sri Lanka has recorded a CPR of around 70%.