Wayamba University Medical Faculty Leads Massive Public Awareness Campaign on World Hypertension Day 2026

Wayamba University Medical Faculty Leads Massive Public Awareness Campaign on World Hypertension Day 2026 Text Here

In a major initiative to combat the rising threat of non-communicable diseases, the Department of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, launched a vibrant public awareness campaign to commemorate World Hypertension Day 2026.

The extensive program, held on May 18, 2026, was organized in close collaboration with medical undergraduates, Teaching Hospital Kurunegala, and Teaching Hospital Kuliyapitiya. Spearheaded under the compelling theme “අධි රුධිර පීඩන මාරයා පරාද කරමු” (Let’s Defeat the Killer of Hypertension), the campaign successfully combined interactive street theater with massive public health walks to educate the community on this “silent killer”.

Street Drama Captivates Crowds in Kurunegala:

The campaign kicked off at 1:00 PM with a series of highly engaging street dramas performed by talented medical undergraduates. Designed to break down complex medical info into digestible public knowledge, the dramas were performed across highly populated transit points, including:

- Twice at the Outpatient Department (OPD) area of Teaching Hospital Kurunegala.

- Once near the main entrance adjacent to the Radiology Unit of Teaching Hospital Kurunegala.

- A final, high-visibility performance at the Central Bus Stand, Kurunegala, which drew significant crowd attention and local media coverage.

The performances creatively highlighted the major risk factors of hypertension, the severe end-organ damage caused by leaving it uncontrolled, and the vital importance of routine blood pressure monitoring. While the drama unfolded, students distributed thousands of informational health leaflets directly to commuters and bystanders.

Twin Public Health Walks Mobilize Hundreds

Following the street theater, the campaign shifted into high gear with simultaneous awareness walks passing through major town centers.

The Kurunegala Walk

Commencing at 3:00 PM from the Main Bus Stand, a procession of approximately 200 participants—including medical undergraduates, academic, supportive, and non-academic university staff—marched along Colombo Road toward the Co-operative Hospital before returning to Teaching Hospital Kurunegala.

The Kuliyapitiya Walk

Simultaneously, a second walk was deployed in Kuliyapitiya. Starting at 2:00 PM from Assedduma Subharathi Vidyalaya, around 120 participants marched to the busy Hospital Junction, distributing leaflets and engaging directly with the local public and shopkeepers in the town area.

Participants in both cities carried large, striking banners emphasizing proper home blood pressure measurement techniques and critical lifestyle adjustments. To ensure maximum safety and smooth traffic flow during the peak afternoon hours, the Sri Lanka Police (Kurunegala and Kuliyapitiya Divisions) provided stellar on-ground logistics support.