As families struggle to provide well-balanced meals for their children, further price increases from Value-Added Tax (VAT) on top of already-high prices are likely to further erode the already-tenuous food security situation, especially for children under five.
The Committee on Public Finance (COPF), giving approval for a VAT increase to 18%, also proposed exemptions for key items, including infant foods. COPF Chairman, SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, highlighting the committee’s recommendation to waive VAT on essential items, said: “Infant nutritional food such as ‘posha’ has been subjected to VAT. We all know that severe malnutrition prevails among children and imposing VAT on them is unfair.”
The situation is already less than favourable, with the Nutrition Month report published by the Family Health Bureau in June noting that malnutrition among children under five years of age is a public health concern in Sri Lanka.
With underweight and stunting having increased, the increase in stunting appears to be the key contributor to the increased underweight status. The report therefore recommends measures to increase the variety of food in the daily diet of children since stunting is more likely due to longstanding deprivation of a balanced diet, with the period of high food inflation.
While it further recommends actions to popularise locally-available low-cost nutritious food items, the possibility of this remains questionable under these circumstances.
The percentage of underweight children under five years was reported to be 17.1%. Compared to 2022 nutrition month data, all districts except Vavuniya have shown an increase in underweight percentages.
It was noted that in all districts the stunting percentages have gone up. Stunting is defined as low length/height-for-age and is the result of chronic or recurrent undernutrition, usually associated with poverty, poor maternal health and nutrition, frequent illness, and/or inappropriate feeding and care in early life. Stunting prevents children from reaching their physical and cognitive potential.
However, Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), defined as a very low weight for length/height, has reduced compared to the previous year. A total of 15,763 SAM children [1.2%] were reported in 2023 compared to the 18,420 [1.4%] SAM children reported in 2022.
‘Slight’ reduction in birth registrations
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Government Midwifery Service Association President Devika Kodithuwakku said that parents were now thinking twice before having children given the impossible circumstances.
As evidence she noted that their statistics showed a slight reduction in birth registration accompanied by an increase in the number of new families adopting family planning.
“With inflation, although people may not be wailing on the streets, many families are at a level where they can no longer prepare food in their own kitchens,” she said, pointing out that many parents were feeding their children to fill their stomach rather than to provide balanced nutrition intake, which would affect the development of children.
“Under these circumstances, once VAT increases to 18%, we will be able to see from January onwards how the situation will worsen for people. Children are the country’s future generation, so if they do not receive proper nutrition, our country’s future generation will be one which has lower cognitive capabilities.”
She expressed dismay at even the raw materials for thriposha being taxed: “At present, thriposha isn’t being provided for children aged six months to three years. Moreover, the tax increase will impact the raw materials used for thriposha, which raises questions as to the continued provision of thriposha for children aged three to five.”
She further noted that children were recommended food prepared by the mother instead of outside food, for instance chopped rice, which should be prepared in a manner that included all nutrients. Moreover, in addition to full meals they are also recommended to provide additional meals, thriposha being one of these. In case thriposha isn’t being provided, mothers are instructed to prepare thriposha using various grains.
“How can mothers purchase cheese or butter for their children during a period when they can no longer buy regular food? As midwives, we cannot pressure parents to give certain items under these circumstances, so what we say is to provide a complete meal.”
Households cut food intake
However, food has continued to be at the centre of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, as incomes continue to shrink amidst growing expenses and soaring food prices. Even as many studies have pointed to the negative coping strategies adopted by families in cutting down on meals due to unaffordability, parents have tried to ensure that their children are somehow fed.
For instance, a Save the Children report from earlier in the year noted that while half of Sri Lankan households were cutting their children’s food intake, 27% of more than 2,300 households reported adults skipping meals to feed their children. It also revealed that nine out of 10 households said they cannot guarantee nutritious food for their children.
To ensure a balanced meal for a child, providing them a diet of rice, pulses, iron rich food of animal origin, dairy, vegetables, and fruits is recommended by health service providers.
At present market prices for pulses such as dhal, green gram, and cowpea cost Rs. 368, Rs. 961, and Rs. 1,132 respectively. Animal food such as fish (salaya), chicken, sprats, and eggs cost Rs. 463, Rs. 1,210, Rs. 1,332, and Rs. 42 (each) respectively.
Vegetables such as pumpkin and carrot cost Rs. 199 and Rs. 484, leafy vegetables such as murunga, sarana, thampala, and mukunuwenna cost Rs. 77, Rs. 98, Rs. 115, and Rs. 71 per bunch, while fruits such as banana (anamalu) and papaya cost Rs. 312 and Rs. 206, respectively.
For dairy, taking the costs of Highland products, a 500 ml tub of plain yoghurt costs Rs. 300, a 200 g pack of butter costs Rs. 1,000, a 500 ml tub of curd is Rs. 300, while a 200 g pack of cheese is Rs. 750.
Unprepared authorities?
Nevertheless, ongoing programmes at the ministry level appear as yet unprepared to deal with the surge in prices and their impact on most families.
Women’s and Child Affairs Ministry National Secretariat For Early Childhood Development Director Varuni Rasadari said that the ministry was currently engaged in the morning meal programme in terms of ensuring nutrition to children.
“The current issue we face is the Rs. 60 per pre-school meal being insufficient and the inability to find suppliers for the meal,” she said, addressing the ongoing programmes to ensure that children were fulfilling their nutrition requirements.
“We have an action plan regarding preschool and early childhood stages. However, since no funds have been set aside in the Budget to enact the national policy, we are carrying out our programmes through other funding sources such as NGOs. We are at the final stage of this action plan,” she said, describing this plan as a measure to include all stakeholders in early childhood development into one national plan to eliminate duplication of tasks.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry Family Health Bureau (FHB) Director Dr. Chithramalee de Silva noted that while the country’s nutrition status was unfavourable, the FHB was undertaking the necessary medical intervention, not being responsible for food insecurity.
“The Ministry of Health plans to start a foster scheme based on donations by people, to provide either money or food baskets for children with malnutrition in poor families,” she said, noting however that this was not a Health Ministry duty, instead requiring multi sectoral coordination such as social services, child protection services, agriculture, animal husbandry, etc.