Sri Lanka enchants with its beaches, its cultural diversity, and its millennia-old history. Yet, behind the images of a rising country lies a less visible reality. Even years after the civil war, many people in the north of Sri Lanka are affected by the long-term consequences of conflict, displacement, and poverty.
Inadequate medical care as well as limited access to clean drinking water and sanitary facilities promote the spread of neglected tropical diseases such as leprosy, dengue or elephantiasis. Additionally, the physical and psychological consequences of the civil war continue to impact the lives of many people today. Numerous affected individuals live with permanent disabilities, caused by war injuries or untreated diseases.
Thanks to the support of our donors, we can help where medical care is urgently needed. Together, we create opportunities for people who have had little access to treatment and rehabilitation.
Thank you!
This is how your donation works
Together with local partners, we improve healthcare in the north of Sri Lanka and support people in breaking the cycle of poverty and disease. Our special focus is on people with disabilities, affected by neglected tropical diseases , as well as women-led households that often live without adequate financial support following the civil war.
Among other things, we combat NTDs by involving all actors. We educate the population about how they can recognize early signs of diseases themselves and what they can do to promote their own health. We increase the knowledge and skills of healthcare personnel and ensure that all healthcare facilities are adequately equipped (e.g., with medicines).
To ensure that people with limited mobility or psychological burdens also receive medical support, we bring health and rehabilitation services directly to the communities. Physical therapists, therapists, and other specialists treat people where they live—thus providing them access to urgently needed care.
Happiness Centers
The Happiness Centers bring together various services in one place. They create a safe space for psychosocial counseling, therapies, training, leisure activities for children, and community exchange. This creates local centers for health, participation, and mutual support.
More about our work
Where is FAIRMED active in Sri Lanka?
FAIRMED operates in northern Sri Lanka in the project "Vaiharai" in the two districts of Jaffna and Killinochchi. As is usual for FAIRMED, this project was named by the locals, and the name shows what they wish for the most. "Vaiharai" literally means "dawn" and metaphorically represents "hope."
What does FAIRMED do for women and children?
FAIRMED identifies and eliminates barriers faced by women in accessing health services, information, and opportunities for participation. We promote the self-determination and leadership roles of women within communities and within our organization.
A focus is on families led by women because many people have missing or disappeared family members as a result of the war—around 40,000 families in the project area are female-headed. Most of these families are indebted and receive no financial aid.
Does FAIRMED also provide emergency aid?
Sri Lanka is one of the countries regularly affected by natural disasters such as cyclones and floods. For the affected families, such crises often mean the loss of their livelihood—and without functioning healthcare, they can quickly become life-threatening.
Therefore, FAIRMED connects long-term development cooperation with humanitarian aid. Together with communities, we strengthen their ability to prepare for crises, recognize risks early, and act quickly in case of emergency. This is succeeded thanks to our local staff,who live close to the affected areas and can respond to new challenges within a few hours. They don't have to travel from far away, as they are already on site. They are also well-connected with local authorities and know how to organize food, clothing, and medicine.
This creates resilient healthcare systems that provide people with security and hope not only in everyday life but also in the most difficult moments.
Which NTDs are prevalent in Sri Lanka?
In Sri Lanka, neglected tropical diseases such as leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, dengue, soil-transmitted helminth infections, leishmaniasis, rabies, and snake bites are still widespread.
FAIRMED has made a significant contribution over decades to combating neglected tropical diseases, particularly to fighting and eliminating leprosy in Sri Lanka. Through training of healthcare personnel, advocacy work, and the development of innovative screening and early detection methods, successful approaches have been integrated into the national health system and adopted by the government.
What does FAIRMED do against corruption?
Since corruption can occur at the local government level, FAIRMED operates its own country offices in all project countries and directly controls the flow of money there. Funds never go to governments, but exclusively to carefully selected local staff. In project planning, collaboration with partners is clearly defined, including responsibilities and funding sources.
Strict monitoring and external audits ensure that irregularities and deviations in our project activities and their funding are noticed. Additionally, FAIRMED implements anti-corruption programs, conducts risk analyses, and provides transparency through reporting systems in Sri Lanka and all project countries.
Does FAIRMED collaborate with the government?
FAIRMED has been active in Sri Lanka since 1981 and works closely with government agencies. This has allowed us to implement various programs in different parts of the country and hand over successful ones to state structures.
The activities in our projects are implemented only by staff of state institutions, while FAIRMED provides technical and financial support. This ensures that expertise, experience, and structures remain anchored in the public system long-term, increasing the sustainability of the achieved impact.
This is also supported by implementation research within our project "Vaiharai." Together with research partners like the Centre for Mental Research and Development (CMRD) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), the needs of the population are systematically studied. The insights gained directly influence program design and help to continuously develop more effective solutions.
How can I donate to the projects in Sri Lanka?
With your support, you give hope and help ensure that even the poorest people in Sri Lanka receive medical care. Here is the link to the donation page. Thank you very much!
How does my donation impact and does it reach its destination?
Thanks to your donation, even the poorest in Sri Lanka have access to urgently needed healthcare. Learn how we achieve this together with people like you in the FAIRMED annual report. And if you want to receive regular impressions of our work and the people on site, follow us on social media. In Sri Lanka last year we, among other things,
Reached 18,303 people
Treated 11,278 people
Trained and educated 495 healthcare professionals and health workers
Supported 500 people in emergencies like natural disasters
The ZEWO Foundation also regularly confirms with its seal of approval that we use donations efficiently and purposefully. It additionally assesses our integrity, transparency, and sustainability. Since 1963, we have carried the ZEWO seal of approval, which guarantees that donations flow directly into our projects and that we keep our management lean and small. It is evidence from a neutral source that our operational processes are professional and efficient and constantly improved. Furthermore, in our annual reports we disclose all expenditures and show what we have been able to achieve and how we have used your donations.
Do you have questions on the project?
If so, Nadine Küng, our Programme Officer for Sri Lanka, will be happy to help. You can reach her by e-mail at info@fairmed.ch.
Your donation helps!
A diagnosis should not be a fate. With your donation, you give the poorest people at the end of the world the chance for a healthy future. Every contribution helps to change lives.
