A.C. Abdul Raheem is a distinguished health promotion specialist, policy advocate, and community development expert with more than two decades of experience in alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) prevention, psychosocial wellbeing promotion, and poverty eradication. Currently serving as the Director of Innovative Community Empowerment Services, he has led numerous prevention workshops, community-level interventions, and awareness campaigns across Sri Lanka, with a particular focus on the Northern and Eastern provinces and the plantation sector.
Mr. Abdul Raheem holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Diploma in Human Rights and Peace Studies from the University of Colombo. He is currently pursuing an MPhil in Psychology at the University of Peradeniya. A trilingual communicator fluent in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, he has successfully engaged diverse communities, bridging cultural and linguistic gaps to deliver impactful health and social development initiatives.
Over his career, Mr. Abdul Raheem has served as a consultant and resource person for several prominent institutions, including the Ministry of Education, the Estate and Urban Health Unit of the Ministry of Health, the Health Promotion Bureau, the University of Jaffna, the University of Kelaniya, and the South Eastern University of Sri Lanka. He has designed and implemented specialized ATOD prevention training programs, including:
His training expertise extends to Public Health Midwives (PHMs), Public Health Inspectors (PHIs), Development Officers, Child Development Officers, Welfare Officers, and Estate Medical Assistants. He has also conducted community-level surveys and consultations to strengthen drug prevention strategies in underserved areas.
A skilled developer of audio-visual and print materials, Mr. Abdul Raheem’s work has been widely published and broadcast. He coordinated the tobacco marketing analysis in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province for the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (ADIC) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). His international engagements include a UNDP intervention in 2012 to address alcohol-related issues in Shanthai and Kakkaitheevu villages (Jaffna District) and a WHO-funded 2017 initiative to reduce drug problems at the village level in Mullaitivu District.
Mr. Abdul Raheem has presented abstracts at international conferences in South Africa, Australia, Sweden, New Zealand, Thailand, and India, and has contributed extensively to national media discussions on public health and drug prevention. He is a member of the Institute of Psychological Assessment and Treatment, serves as an internship coordinator, and lectures at the University of Kelaniya.
Through his unwavering commitment to health promotion and community empowerment, A.C. Abdul Raheem continues to play a pivotal role in advancing sustainable, community-driven approaches to public health and social development in Sri Lanka.