Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

UA partners with Health Promotion Bureau to promote mental health awareness

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Union Assurance (UA) and the Health Promotion Bureau of Sri Lanka have partnered together to tackle Covid-10 through a mental health awareness campaign.

In a series of interviews conducted in service of this campaign, several profession­als educate the public on the issue. To quote Dr. Suneth Rajawasan, a doctor who contracted the virus- ‘it is the uninfected privilege’. He says people become comfortabl­e looking down upon neighbours who may have succumbed to sickness, and that too has an impact on a person’s mental wellbeing.

Despite being physically ill, the patients and their families are shunned from society. In the same series Dr. Nayani Dharmakeer­thi advises citizens to ‘contact their infected neighbours via phone to inquire about progress and wellbeing, because we are all in this together’.

Professor Athula Sumathipal­a, who specialize­s in mental health, encourages the public stating - ‘Without getting swayed by misinforma­tion, empower those around you to go on about their daily lives while adhering to government and health authority guidelines’. Communicat­ion is key to awareness. Therefore, through these much-needed campaigns, Union Assurance will be able to give back to policyhold­ers as well as the country, staying true to the slogan ‘Your life, Our Strength’. Partnering with a body such as the Health Promotion Bureau will extend campaign reach to all parts of Sri Lanka.

 ??  ?? Professor Athula Sumathipal­a
Professor Athula Sumathipal­a
 ??  ?? Dr. Nayani Dharmakeer­thi
Dr. Nayani Dharmakeer­thi
 ??  ?? Dr. Suneth Rajawasan
Dr. Suneth Rajawasan

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