Organized by the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, the first stage of the Colombo District program—part of the special training series on "Disaster Preparedness, Resilience, and Ethical Media Reporting" aimed at newsroom heads, regional journalists, and web journalists representing media institutions across the island—has been successfully concluded.

Held at the National Institute of Plantation Management in Athurugiriya, this program saw the participation of a large number of regional journalists and other media professionals representing the Colombo District.

Resource Contributions from State Institutions and Subject Experts

The first day of the program (September 16) was conducted by experts in the media and legal fields (affiliated with UNDP), while the second day (September 17) featured lectures and training sessions led by expert resource persons from the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka Army Headquarters, Sri Lanka Navy Headquarters, Department of Meteorology, and the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO).

Upcoming Programs for Other Districts

Following the successful conclusion of the second phase of the Colombo District program on September 21 and 22, the next phase of this training series is scheduled to be held for journalists in the Kurunegala District on September 29 and 30.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health and Mass Media has made all arrangements to continue this capacity development program series throughout the upcoming months of October, November, and December, covering several suitable districts across the island.