Lak Punarodaya
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka experienced a significant surge in HIV and AIDS cases from 2023 to 2024, an 18% increase according to the National STD/AIDS Control Program.
In 2025, the Center provided funds to Lak Punarodaya, a Sri Lankan registered nonprofit that conducted six educational seminars with students (ages 15-25), those in drug rehabilitation, and prisons. Over 600 people were reached. In addition, the Center provided dry food ration packs for people living with HIV.
The Center's recent visit to Sri Lanka in January 2026, included three educational workshops at substance abuse centers, where patients learned about the history of HIV, how one contracts the disease, and the medications that are available to ensure healthy lives. Dr. Burt Golub, a retired infectious disease specialist and long-time friend of the Center, led these conversations, joined by Dr. Don Messer, the Center's founder, who shared the importance of fighting stigma and discrimination. The Center also met with Lanka Plus, a local nonprofit that is dedicated to the welfare of people living with HIV and AIDS throughout the country.