Rotaract District 3220 Sri Lanka and Maldives, together with Interact District 3220 and Rotary District 3220, were to carry out the polio parade on 24 October from 3.30 p.m. onwards at CR&FC Grounds, followed by the “Oba Nisa” BNS concert with a number of other artists at 6.30 p.m. However, due to the prevalent situation in the country, these events were cancelled.
Speaking with Rotary International District 3220 Sri Lanka and Maldives District Rotaract Representative Rtn. Rtr. Kavindra Kasun Sigera, he shared that despite the events being put on hold, their efforts with regard to creating awareness about polio will continue.
Accordingly, they hope to carry on the fundraising element of the initiative, where they make an annual donation to the global foundation for eradication of polio. He said the number of polio cases has fallen by over 99% since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1988. Sri Lanka has been polio-free since 1993, while the WHO Southeast Asian region was certified polio-free in 2014. However, regardless, there remain those who still suffer from it, Kasun said, adding that therefore awareness is necessary.
He also stated that while their plans were thwarted with regard to the concert and the parade, they hope to instead host a talk show where they can create awareness with regard to their cause. He said that half of the population is unaware of the nature of polio and are not at all familiar with the illness, and while we are fortunate enough to have immunised effectively, it is important to still remain aware.
Kasun shared further about the talk show that they hope to host as a digital forum, where they hope to feature persons involved in having pioneered the movement to eradicate polio around the world. He shared a moment in Sri Lanka’s history where there was a two-day cease-fire between the warring factions in our civil war in order to immunise children, also sharing that this was the extent the initiative went in order to rid Sri Lanka of polio.
In addition to the Rotaract District’s efforts with polio, Kasun shared with us a number of other initiatives that fall under their purview, including their efforts in creating awareness about the Covid-19 pandemic with their “Stop the Spread” campaign launched in July. He said that this particular movement is innovative in that they do not only focus on creating awareness, but also work with the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) in awarding certification for Covid-19-controlled environments, under which a number of companies have already been certified.
He also shared that under the “Stop the Spread” campaign during the election times, they ran a campaign called “Viral Vote” where they created extensive awareness with regard to the procedure that needs to be allowed during the election time, especially when one heads towards the polling station. He said that they chose to provide this assistance because the elections were the very first major event we had to face following the height of the pandemic, and they wished to give a hand in making sure everything went smoothly.
Finally, Kasun shared an upcoming initiative the Rotaract District is involved in – a mobile application that is currently under development, which they have worked on together with the Ministry of Health. The app will serve the purpose of assisting public health inspectors (PHIs) keep track of those who are ordered to stay under quarantine, as PHIs often must make visits twice a day to those who are supposed to be under quarantine. The app allows them to monitor if the persons under quarantine are remaining within their allowed radius, Kasun said, adding that the app is ready to be tested and will be tested around the area of the National Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH).
By Dimithri Wijesinghe
