Walking Towards a Safer Sri Lanka:SLMA’s Health Initiative

The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) is organising a Health Walk today, starting at 7.00 am from Galle Face Green in Colombo. It was revealed yesterday in a media briefing held in the council room at SLMA Colombo.  

The event is organised with the intention of raising awareness among the people about road safety and preventing major road accidents in the country.  

The walk will go through Liberty Circle, concluding with a public awareness program at Viharamahadevi Park, Colombo.  

Addressing the media briefing, the president of the Sri Lanka Medical Association, Dr. Surantha Perera, said, “SLMA has been involved in various activities for years to ensure that we need proper regulation and management in road accidents. Our theme is that road accidents should be reduced in Sri Lanka. A total number of 12,140 deaths have been recorded due to road accidents from 2020 to 2024. In 2024 alone, 2,243 deaths have occurred. We should consider the pedestrians, the conditions of the roads, the discipline of drivers, the health sector involvement, and the police efficiently in terms of applying rules, and when all these areas are improved, we can prevent road accidents. 3.7% of our annual GDP is spent annually to solve the issues relating to road accidents. This money and lives could be saved if we had a proper regulation and management plan to prevent these accidents in Sri Lanka. On the other hand, exercise is very important to prevent non-infectious diseases. 2/3 of our population is affected by these kinds of diseases. We can prevent these diseases if we exercise regularly. Last year, we handed over a statement of principles for preventing road accidents to the Government with the participation of more than 30 Government Associations and non-Government associations in Sri Lanka,”.  It is expected that the event will involve numerous stakeholders, including public representatives, various government ministries, the tri-forces and police, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, the private sector, the business community, and artists.