Why would you like to be on the NCDA Board of Directors?

I have a passion to design and implement innovative activities for NCD prevention and control in the global level and I believe that NCDA Board is the most suitable place for me to share my ideas and experience. Hope I can add value to the NCDA through the experience I gained as an academic, professional and activist with my previous work in local, regional, and global level especially in the field of alcohol, tobacco and other drug control and prevention. I strongly believe that there will be an opportunity to design innovative activities to prevent deaths and disabilities caused by NCD when I become a Board member of NCDA by using my work experience of community interventions, research and policy advocacy. I will be able to strengthen NCDA Board with my ability to work in different sectors such as community-based organisations, government institutions and corporate sector which will enriched NCD programmes in the future. As a good team player, I am eager to share my knowledge and experience with other directors to strengthen the NCD control mission in the global level.

What makes you a good candidate for the NCDA Board of Directors?

I am excited to contribute to the NCDA vision to control NCD’s in the global level by adding my last 30 years’ experience of working towards NCD prevention and control. As a representative of a developing country who started NCD prevention work as a volunteer and as an activist in the Asian region I believe that I can contribute to face the challenge of NCDs in the region by introducing low cost-effective approaches. I strongly believe that I can add colour to the NCDA work in the future through the knowledge I gained by organizing public campaigns, developing audio visual and printed materials and appearing in media discussions in challenging environments.

I gained knowledge and experience working with different contexts, cultures, and communities. I will be able to strengthen the existing NCDA programmes and design new interventions in the future. The results I achieved specially conceptualization, designing and implementing targeting young people will be an added advantage to the NCDA work in the coming years. I have actively engaged in community activities, research, and policy advocacy in past many years in the local regional and global level. Through the achieved results in all the three areas I can contribute to improve the future interventions of NCDA.

Biography

Currently working as the consultant to the RESET Alcohol initiative for Sri Lanka and working as a visiting lecturer at the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka. Elected Vice president of the largest alcohol prevention network, Movendi International and a Board member of Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA). Closely engage with NCD alliance in Sri Lanka from the inception and currently act as the president. Completed the social work studies in India and Health promotion studies in Canada.

Have been actively engaged in NCD control work since 1990 and specialize in NCD control through tobacco and alcohol control. Experienced in developing audio visual and printed materials on NCD control for campaigns and behaviour change communication. Activities invented by my guidance received international awards and recognitions. Have experience in working with government institutions, corporate sector and extensively work with community-based organisations. Passionate worker in the community level research and policy advocacy.