Sri Lanka National Consultation on Birth Defects Prevention and Control - April 2013

Sri Lanka National Consultation Meeting on Birth Defects Prevention and Control was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 17 to 19 of April 2013. Nearly 50 stakeholders representing various curative and preventive sectors attended the meeting to review the problem of birth defects and develop the National Strategic Plan on Prevention & Control of Birth Defects in Sri Lanka. Two experts from Centre for Disease Control Atlanta and the focal point of Child Health Development in WHO/SEARO contributed as resource persons. 
 

 

This workshop was organized at local level jointly by WHO and Ministry of Health. Dr. Anoma Jayathilaka (NPO – WHO) and Dr. Kapila Jayaratne (National Coordinator Birth Defects Prevention & Control – Ministry of Health) coordinated the organization of the workshop.

 

 

 

 

 

Moving beyond essential interventions for reduction of Maternal Mortality

High coverage of essential interventions do not imply reduced maternal mortality in the health-care facilities. If substantial reductions in maternal mortality are to be achieved, universal coverage of life-saving interventions need to be matched with comprehensive emergency care and overall improvements in the quality of maternal health care.

 

Please read the Lancet article on:

Moving beyond essential interventions for reduction of maternal mortality (the WHO Multicountry Survey on Maternal and Newborn Health): a cross-sectional study

 

(http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)60686-8/fulltext?_eventId=login)

 

 

Activities - The Expert Committee on Ergonomics of Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA - ECE)

The Expert Committee on Ergonomics of Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA - ECE) launched several projects since its inception in the year 2012.

These include;

1. Transferring knowledge on Ergonomics to general public and key stakeholders
2. Healthy Schoolbag Campaign
3. Child Helmets
4. Occupational Safety and Health
5. Promoting Stretch Break - an ergonomic software for kids

 

Standards for Schoolbags Introduced to Bag Manufacturers

Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) has developed standards for schoolbags. With the objective of minimizing negative health effects and assuring a high physical quality and durable schoolbags for parents, these standards were finalized by a working group represented by different sectors including paediatricians, community physicians, education authorities, ergonomists, textile engineers and bag manufactures. Major features of a standard schoolbag include; backpack model, two compartments, padded and wide shoulder straps, waist belt, movable buckles and quality raw materials. These bags are specified in five different sizes to match with children body.

 

An awareness meeting for bag manufacturers on new standards was held at the Auditorium of Sri Lanka Standards Institute recently. More than eighty bag manufacturers participated at this workshop.

 

 

Dr. Priyadarshani Talgaswatte, Deputy Director General of SLSI explained the objectives of the workshop and said that the draft standards were even made available for public comments prior to the finalization. She speculated the possibility of making the SLS standards compulsory considering the circumstances in coming years.

 

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne, Consultant Community Physician and the chairperson of the Expert Committee on Ergonomics of Sri Lanka Medical Association who pioneered the healthy schoolbag campaign in Sri Lanka described the medical aspects of inclusion of different features of the schoolbag. Dr. Jayaratne functioned as the chairman of the working group on developing standards for schoolbags. He said ergonomic schoolbag is a healthy choice and requested bag manufacturers to make the healthy bag available in the market.

 

Mr. K.D. Bandula, Assistant Education Commissioner of Education Publication Department presented the role of the Ministry of Education in introducing the healthy schoolbag. He said that a new circular will be issued to more popularize the healthy bag among children, parents, teachers and school authorities.

Mrs Chandima Mallawasekara, Assistant Director, SLSI, described in detail different standards introduced for schoolbag. Deputy Director, SLSI, Mr. Wijaya Tissera explained the participants the mechanisms used to control the quality of standards for schoolbags.

 

Mrs. Sujatha Wijesinghe, a leading bag manufacturer, elaborated on maneuvers that can be adopted in producing schoolbags in accordance with new standards.

 

This was the first of a series of bag manufacturer awareness workshops launched by SLSI.

 

 

 

 

Safe Environmen​t, Enhanced Productivi​ty

 

 

"Promoting child ergonomics will have long term effects on children and most of the things can be done using our common sense"

-Prof Manouri Senanayke, Consultant Paediatrician

"The ultimate goal of ergonomics is to design the workplace so that it accommodates the variety of human capabilities and limitations to prevent occupational hazards"

-Dr. Mahendra Arnold, Consultant Community Physician

"Computer ergonomics provides solutions to multiple muscle aches"

-Dr. Nishan Siriwardane, Bio-informatics Specialist

"A safe environment leads to more productivity and efficiency"

-Dr. Kapila Jayaratne, Consultant Community Physician, Chairperson - Expert Committee on Ergonomics (SLMA)

Safe Environment, Enhanced Productivity - Read DailyNews

http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/10/25/fea20.asp

Expert Committee on Ergonomics conducts its first media briefing

The SLMA Expert Committee on Ergonomics conducted a media briefing to make general public aware of ergonomics and its applicability in Sri Lankan contexts.

Prof Vajira Dissanayake welcomed media personnel and elaborated on scope of SLMA Expert Committee on Ergonomics.

Dr. Nishan Siriwardane explained computer ergonomics.

Ergonomics influences people's work national developmen​t

Regional Meeting on Implementation of Maternal Death Review to strengthen Maternal Death Surveillance and Response

Regional Meeting on Implementation of Maternal Death Review to strengthen Maternal Death Surveillance and Response

-Bangkok, Thailand 27-28 October 2012

 

 

This meeting was conducted to to facilitate country level actions for improving Maternal Death Review, Surveillance and Response with the objectives of;

 

1. To discuss current status of country MDR/MDSR processes and methodologies
2. To share, disseminate and deliberate the findings of the MDR studies in five SEAR countries, comparing and discussing their approaches and build on country experiences to plan for the way forward
3. To update on tools on MDSR (including information technologies, both at community and facility level)  and familiarize with implementation guidelines on MDSR
4. To identify the next steps for countries, and to align these steps to the road map prepared on the translation of the COIA recommendations to actions

Sri Lanka was represented by Dr. Deepthi Perera (Director - Maternal & Child Health), Dr. Kapila Jayaratne (National Programme Manager - Maternal & Child Morbidity & Mortality Surveillance), Dr. Noirosha Lansakara (National Programme Manager - Planning & Evaluation) and Dr. Anoma Jayathilaka (WHO - NPO).

 

 

 

Sri Lanka's system was quoted as:

  

"Very advanced across different levels of system with central focal point monitoring

the actions".

"Nearly 100% maternal deaths reported timely and reviewed."

"Systematic annual reviews. All maternal deaths in an year are analysed at national

level, district disparities identified and outcomes shared with different stakeholders

and corrections actions discussed at high level meeting"

 

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne presented the Maternal Death Surveillance System in Sri Lanka;

 

 

A country action plan was presented to further streamline MDSR in Sri Lanka.

 

 

Multi-country Workshop to develop country roadmaps to translate the recommendations of the Commission on Information and Accountability

Multi-country Workshop to develop country roadmaps to translate the recommendations of the Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health was held recently in Bangkok, Thailand, 24-26 September 2012.

 

 

Dr. Deepthi Perera (Director - Maternal & Child Health), Dr. Kapila Jayaratne (National Programme Manager - Maternal & Child Morbidity & Mortality Surveillance), Dr. Nirosha Lansakara (National Programme Manager - Planning & Evaluation) and Dr. Anoma Jayathilaka (WHO - NPO) represented Sri Lanka at this meeting.
 

 

 

Dr. Nirosha Lansakara presented the Sri Lanka country situation.

Opening Healthcare Gateways for Ergonomics

SLMA News, the Sri Lanka Medical Association's official news letter carried an article on introducing ergonomics to the medical community.
The July issue of SLMAnews is now online at: http://issuu.com/slmanews/docs/slmanews_2012_07

Movindu's Letter

Sri Lanka Medical Association to promote ergonomics for healthcare

Expert Committee on Ergonomics established under Sri Lanka Medical Association

Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), being the premier professional organization representing the medical community, took the initial step in promoting ergonomics in Sri Lanka by establishing an  Expert Committee on Ergonomics with the objective of promoting ergonomics to medical community, general public and in healthcare settings.

Ergonomics is an evolving specialty all over the world. It is the scientific study of the people and their work. Ergonomics helps in improving human performance and finds solutions to health and safety problems. With the advancement of technology and growing evidence, ergonomics has penetrated dramatically in to the healthcare field eg. Doctor-patient interfaces, healthcare equipments, service delivery environments, occupational safety and health (OSH), child ergonomics, school health etc.

Ample evidence is available on gross deficiencies in ergonomics in many settings both at local and global levels. Mismatched ergonomics result in multitude of negative health consequences and may have implications on economic development of a country. Feasible solutions are available to mitigate such negative effects. Preventive strategies have been initiated in many developed countries both at micro and macro levels. There are several fragmented approaches launched in Sri Lanka focused on ergonomics eg. OSH, ergonomics for children, healthy schoolbag campaign and healthcare facility ergonomics.

A health-led concerted effort is essential considering the significance and applicability of ergonomics to healthcare professionals in Sri Lankan contexts.

Activities of SLMA Expert Committee on Ergonomics will include;

1. To function as the umbrella body in promoting ergonomics

2. To map and collate evidence in ergonomics and health consequences

3. To synthesize and disseminate new knowledge on ergonomics

4. To advocate healthcare and other stakeholders in relevant sectors on issues related to ergonomics

5. To interface with national and provincial health professionals and other stakeholders (eg. other government bodies, INGOs) as appropriate to generate funds and to facilitate the implementation and adoption of ergonomic initiatives

6. To initiate and sustain activities both at national and sub-national level to expand ergonomics in health and relevant fields

Outcome:

Sri Lanka is seen as a model developing country. In a context of rapid technology transfer, promotion of ergonomics both at macro and micro levels will undoubtedly contribute to economic and human development of a nation. The SLMA, being the apex medical organization in the country, will be a partner in promoting ergonomics.

Doctors from different fields; public health, bio-informatics, psychology, occupational health, injury prevention, lecturers, administrators, private health sector, media etc, participated at the initial meeting. Several working groups were introduced to formulate a roadmap for the activities of expert committee.

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne, Consultant Community Physician, coordinates the Expert Committee as the chairperson. The convener to the committee is Dr. Chamaine de Silva, a bio-informatics specialist. Professor Vajira Dissanayake, President - SLMA, provides the guidance.

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/120722/business-times/slma-to-study-ergonomics-issues-sets-up-committee-6386.html

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Regional Programme Managers’ Meeting

on Prevention and Control of Birth Defects

20 - 22 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand

Birth defects cause a significant social and economic burden

Birth defects diminish productivity and quality of life and cause a significant social and economic burden on individuals, families, communities and society.  Birth can cause lifelong impairment and may need costly medical or surgical treatment that may not be available or affordable, and ultimately require long-term care from families, communities and health systems. 

Regional Programme Managers meeting has been planned to review the current situation, advocate for national strategies for prevention of birth defects, disseminate global experiences and deliberate on strategic approaches that Member States would like to follow in the Region.

Specific Objectives:

a.             Discuss the draft Regional Situation Analysis on birth defects.
b.            Share the global situation and the global experience on prevention of birth defects.
c.             Identify opportunities for implementing interventions for prevention of birth defects.
d.            Obtain inputs from the countries on the draft Regional strategy on prevention and control of birth defects.
e.             Explore possibilities of regional and national networks of institutions on Birth Defects

Presentation of Sri Lanka Country Action Points:

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne

- National Programme Manager - Maternal & Child Morbidity & Mortality Surveillance

Southern Regional Conference - Sri Lanka Medical Association 2012

Sri Lanka Medical Association

Southern Regional Conference - 23 & 24 February 2012

Light House Hotel, Galle

in Collaboration with the

Galle Medical Association

Symposium on Health Challenges in THE SOUTH – The Way Forward

Chairpersons:

Prof. Vajira H. W. Dissanayake (President, Sri Lanka Medical Association)

Dr. Kapila Jayarathne (Assistant Secretary, Sri Lanka Medical Association)

The symposium was conducted in two sessions. The initial session to sensitize and collate issues was held on 23^rd February with the participation of relevant stakeholders from the Southern Province.

Prof Vajira W Dissanayake (President – SLMA) and Dr. Vajira Lekamwasam (President – GMA) co-chaired the workshop. Dr. Kapila Jayaratne (Assistant Secretary – SLMA) organized and moderated the workshop.

Prof Dissanayake while welcoming the participants outlined the importance of conducting symposiums of this nature to improve the service delivery in periphery and appreciated contribution of all the participants.

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne, presented background health indicators of Southern Province in relation to national statistics. He outlined the objectives of the workshop;

   1.    To sensitize policy makers and healthcare administrators on the issues faced by healthcare workers in Southern Province

   2.    To negotiate for feasible solutions to improve the healthcare service delivery in Southern Province

Following healthcare professionals from different fields presented challenges they encounter in healthcare service delivery in the Southern Province;

·         Health Challenges in Galle District

- Dr. Vajira Lekamwasam (President – GMA)

·         Health Challenges in Matara District

- Dr. R.M.U.K. Rathnayake (Regional Epidemiologist – Matara)

·         Challenges faced by the Private Sector  in the Southern Province

-Dr. Aruna Rabel, Director – Medical Services, Hemas Hospitals

·         Challenges in Undergraduate & Postgraduate Medical Education in the Southern Province  -Prof P L Ariyananda, Senior Professor of Medicine, University of Ruhuna

The session to negotiate for solutions was held on 24^th February with the participation of Hon. Maithripala Sirisena, Minister of Health, as the Chief Guest, ministry officials, politicians, healthcare administrators of southern province, medical professionals, public health workers and medical students.

Prof. Vajira H. W. Dissanayake, welcomed the Hon Minister and participants. He thanked Hon Minister for his contribution in addressing issues in the health sector in the Southern Province.

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne compiled and presented major issues identified at the workshop conducted previous day. Dr. Palitha Maheepala (Additional Secreatry – MS) facilitated the negotiation process for finding solutions.

Taking leadership – Making a difference

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne

Assistant Secretary, SLMA

The success story of National Schoolbag Campaign was described as a person-driven initiative to make a difference in the community by a medical professional. Four million school children would benefit as a result of introduction of an ergonomically designed healthy schoolbag.

KeyNote Address - International Ergonomic Association Recife, Brazil 2012

Dear Kapila,

I join with all the leadership team of the IEA in congratulating you on achieving this prestigious invitation and delivering the inspiring story. It was a pleasure to be with you in Recife and to witness your presentation with international colleagues. They were so impressed by you and your achievements. It was a wonderful example of the proposed “Future of Ergonomics” challenge how you have engaged so successfully with  political and business stakeholders to take up the leadership to strive for adopting theergonomics interventions.

I just wished there were more in the room to hear thestory. It was a pity that the Program had four excellent keynotes all on at thesame time.

I am personally so proud to be part of your journey Kapila. Who would have thought 6 or 7 years ago when we started corresponding that you wouldbe one of the IEA 2012 Keynote speakers in Brazil with a paper to be publishedin the Journal Ergonomics?

Your personal drive and commitment is a wonderful testament of what makes a successful outcome. I look forward to witness your next achievements. I feel confident that there will be many more to come.

Best Wishes,

David Caple

Former President - IEA

The 18th World Congress on Ergonomics 2012

Designing a Sustainable Future

The 18th World Congress on Ergonomics will be held February 12-16, 2012, in Recife, Brazil.
The congress will be a joint conference with ULAERGO – the Union of Latin-American Ergonomics Societies and ABERGO – the Brazilian Ergonomics Association. ABERGO is the official host of the Congress.
The congress theme of “Designing a Sustainable Future”, expresses a current concern with the design of resources which aim to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present but also in the future. As a discipline which is involved in the designing of the interactions among humans and other elements of a system, ergonomics must consider “sustainability” as a key aspect in optimizing resources to improve human well-being and overall system performance. So, one of the major challenges in the field of ergonomics for the 21st Century will be the design and management of systems that satisfy custom demands in terms of the requirements for human compatibility and at the same time consider sustainability.
http://www.iea2012.org/index.htm

Congress Program  http://www.iea2012.org/congressprogram.htm


Keynote Plenary Sessions

In the early evening there will be a choice of various keynote speakers, highlighting actual trends in ergonomics and related fields of expertise.

Each plenary session will last 60 minutes. There will be simultaneous translation from English to Portuguese.

Kapila Jayaratne

Consultant Community Physician,
Family Health Bureau, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka




Short Bio:
Dr. Kapila Jayaratne is a medical doctor specialized in public health and child health. He holds master's and doctorate degrees in Community Medicine from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and had the post-doctoral training at the University of Melbourne in Australia.
He currently directs the National Program of Maternal and Child Mortality and Morbidity Surveillance in the Family Health Bureau of the Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka. Dr. Jayaratne has authored several studies on ergonomic factors in the school environment and its influence on the health of school children. In these studies, he has looked at the problem of backpacks carried by children. He designed a healthy model of a backpack in accordance with ergonomic standards, which resulted in a national campaign to popularize and adopt this model in Sri Lanka from year 2011, which benefited nearly four million children.
Dr. Jayaratne initiated many knowledge transfer programs on ergonomics for children in both paper and electronic mass media. He also contributed to World Health Organization (WHO)’s Guidelines on Children’s Environmental Health Units.
Dr. Jayaratne is the coordinator of the National Healthy Schoolbag Campaign and also the chair person of the Working Committee on the Development of Standards for Schoolbags of Sri Lanka Standards Institute.


Keynote:
Inculcating the ergonomic culture in developing countries: National Healthy Schoolbag Initiative in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an industrially-developing country boasting of better health indices that are on a par with industrially-developed countries. To optimize the compatibility between the user population and the operating environment, an ergonomic perspective is essential. School constitutes an important environment for the child where ‘productivity’ in terms of attainment of expected educational levels is of prime importance to the child, the family and the country as a whole.


A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a district in Sri Lanka to assess the situation with regard to ergonomic factors of the school educational environment and its influence on negative health outcomes among school children. A sample of 1607 school children of Grade 6, 7 and 8 were selected from 55 schools using a stratified multi-stage cluster sampling method.

The study revealed the need for major improvements in several ergonomic parameters within the classrooms. Observations included: the need to improve seating arrangements in relation to location of the blackboard and to make the chair and desk combination to be ergonomically optimal. It was noted that the students carried heavy bags in an unhealthy manner and that schoolbags were not ergonomically modeled.

Children perceived severe general tiredness and reported discomfort linked with carrying their schoolbag. Many children reported musculoskeletal pain with one third, suffering from recurrent pain. Ergonomic mismatches were identified as risk factors of recurrent musculoskeletal pain. A smaller proportion of children were found to have significant lateral deviation of the spine.

Research findings necessitated identification of priority areas and formulation of feasible solutions with the involvement of major stakeholders. Issues related to schoolbag were recognized as major concerns. Solutions were contemplated on: strategies for bag-weight reduction, introduction of a model healthy bag and “bag behaviour change”. Findings were disseminated through local mass media and at international forums to share and update good practice evidence. Advocacy of policy makers, ministers, administrative officers, health program managers and health care professionals of both health and education sectors, played a crucial role. The sharing of the research outcome and recommendations with the Ministry of Education (MoE) stimulated further research by MoE into exploring strategies to lighten the schoolbag. Text books were split into several volumes. The size of exercise books was limited to 80 pages. A healthy schoolbag was modeled by the principal investigator in accordance with ergonomic standards. The Sri Lanka Standards Institute was consulted on physical quality assurance. Bag manufacturers were registered and were educated on the criteria to be met in full in manufacturing a “healthy bag”.
A schoolbag regulatory committee was established to monitor implementation of the national healthy schoolbag campaign. Sample bags from bag manufacturers were evaluated by the regulatory committee and bags that complied with healthy standards were awarded a ‘healthy bag’ logo certified by Ministry of Education. Healthy school bags were introduced at national level at the commencement of the academic year 2011.
Children, parents and teachers were made knowledgeable through mass media, leaflets and at exhibitions on a healthy bag and bag behaviour. Nearly four million school children will be the beneficiaries of this project. In addition to promoting a healthy school environment for the child, this work attempted to inculcate an ergonomic culture in a country where industrial development is likely to take an important place in the development scenario.

Regional Workshop on Integrated Approaches to Prevent and Manage Pneumonia and Diarrhea for achievement of MDG 4 - Dhaka, Bangladesh 27-30 Sep 2011

Background: In the context of MDG4, resource-poor countries can accelerate their progress by implementing a framework for pneumonia and diarrhoea prevention and control which improves access to interventions of proven effectiveness across a continuum of -- addressing risk factors (protection) -- providing vaccination (prevention) --- and integrated case management (treatment) to children when they develop pneumonia or diarrhoea.


Purpose: The intent of the workshop was to catalyze the work of different programmes at country level to achieve maximum impact. The pneumonia and diarrhoea control strategies were used as a vehicle to increase the coverage of interventions within on-going, integrated approaches to child survival such as IMCI and primary health care.

The primary focus was on finding synergies among three interventions: exclusive breastfeeding, vaccination and integrated case management. However, countries are encouraged to include other interventions relevant to their specific situation, e.g. HIV, malaria, water and sanitation, and environment-related interventions.

The Sri Lanka delegation included; Dr. Kapila Jayaratne (National IMCI Manager), Dr, Virgini Mallawarachchi (Epidemiology Unit), Dr. Anoma Jayathilaka (WHO) and Dr. Supriya Warusavithana (WHO).

Situation Analysis of Pneumonia and diarrhoea in Sri Lanka was presented by Dr. Jayaratne and Country Action plan by Dr, Mallawarachchi.

Hon Minister of Health updated on National Healthy Schoolbag Campaign

Recently Hon Minister of Health, Mr. Maithripala Sirisena was updated on the progress of the National Healthy Schoolbag Campaign at Ministry of Health, Suwasiripaya.

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne described Hon minister of healthy features of the ergonomic bag and the implementation process of the campaign hand in hand with Ministry of Education.

Dr. Ravindra Ruberu, Secretary of Ministry of Health and Mr. Mervin Gunasena, Private Secretary to Minister of Health also participated at this occasion.

President's Secretary briefed on National Healthy Schoolbag Campaign

Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to President of Sri Lanka, was briefed on the National Healthy Schoolbag Campaign.

Dr. Kapila Jayaratne described him the research work done in this regard and how the outcome of the study was translated in to practice. He explained the progress of the campaign at present and requested secretary to add momentum to this project which would improve the health of nearly 4 million school children in the country.