Don highlights good health practices
by L. S. Ananda Wedaarachchi
When people are really empowered they would show better results of
their performance, said Prof. Diyanath Samarasinghe of the Faculty of
Medicine, Colombo University.
The professor told the seminar on “Health promotion experience - a
Forum for the communities to lead - Sri Lanka evidence” that the health
promotion experience gained by the villages as assisted by the Rajarata
University scholars and health experts has resulted in higher
productivity in the village based family health programs aimed at
preventing cancer, asthma, and highblood pressure.
“Health Promotion Experiences for the communities to lead - Sri Lanka
Evidence” was organised by the Health Promotion Division of the Rajarata
University of Sri Lanka, Health Education Bureau and Plan Sri Lanka
together with the organising committee of the 10th SEARSM - IEA at the
Cinnamon Grand Hotel.
The group leaders and the participants of the health promotion
programme from Ampara, Polonnaruwa, Mihintale, Hambantota and
Anuradhapura had presented their experiences and the health progress of
their members to the audience including professor and representatives of
the health sector.
“Children make the adults ‘lives better - Experience from Ampara” was
presented by a group comprising G.G. Asanka Dias Gunasekera, W.M. Ishan
Iksura, B. A. Umesha Hansani and K. M. N. R. M. Lakrhiths Heenthenne.
They were assisted by the Health Promotion Division Department of
Biological Sciences Faculty at Applied Sciences - Rajarata University of
Sri Lanka.
They said they formed the children’s club with only eight children at
the beginning.
“Our mothers were not interested in sending the children to the club
at the beginning. We discussed the matter with the members of the
society to find out the reason behind this lack of interest. We thought
that mothers did not observe any improvement or change in us by being a
member of the club.
We tried to help our mothers to engage more in household activities
such as sweeping and cooking. We demonstrated our love towards the
mothers. When we found that it was not easy to work in the kitchens for
a long time due to poor ventilation and smoke we could imagine the
plight of our mothers resulting in-illness.
We visited the neighbourhood and built simple chimneys (dum kavuluwa)
in those kitchens. We also introduced certain other changes such as safe
storming of salt, they said.
The Rajarata University Vice Chancellor K. A. Nandasena, Plan Sri
Lanka Country Director Hans Dijsselbloem, Dean Faculty of Applied
Sciences Rajarata University of Sri Lanka Dr. Manel Gunaskera, Professor
Community Medicine Prof. Lalini Rajapaksa, Plan Sri Lanka Program
Director Sherri Ann Lyon, Communication Manager Plan Sri Lanka Manu
Tissera and Senior Lecturer Health Promotion Division. Rajarata
University of Sri Lanka Duminda Guruge also addressed the symposium.
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