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Health Ministry to tackle child malnutrition

21 Aug 2022

  • Govt. working with UN on emergency nutrition plan
By Maneesha Dullewe   Amidst warnings by the Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) and health sector stakeholders that child malnutrition is on the rise, health authorities claim that measures are underway to tackle the issue in the near and long term.  Ministry of Health Secretary S. Janaka Sri Chandraguptha told The Sunday Morning that the Ministry had formulated an emergency nutrition plan to address the issue of child malnutrition, in collaboration with the UN, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Ministry’s Nutrition Division.  Moreover, he noted that the production of thriposha had recommenced and distribution was underway at present.  “We are also looking at providing a nutrition bar to the most vulnerable groups, i.e. pregnant mothers and children under five years of age,” Chandraguptha disclosed.  He noted that they were especially focused on facilitating relief programmes to serve the most vulnerable segments of society that were prone to malnutrition, such as plantation sector children and street children. “We have devised an emergency response plan for the next six months, which was recently unveiled,” he said.  Meanwhile, Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Spokesperson Dr. Vasan Ratnasingam noted that child malnutrition would be imminent in the near future if left unaddressed. “There’s a potential risk of child malnutrition in Sri Lanka, because of the economic crisis. According to research done by UNICEF and other NGOs, seven families out of 10 in Sri Lanka are struggling to get adequate meals. This has to be addressed because in the near future we will face acute malnutrition, particularly in children and pregnant mothers.” Accordingly, Dr. Ratnasingam noted that the GMOA had made several proposals to the Health Ministry to deal with the issue. “We urge the Government, particularly the Ministry of Health and the respective Government authorities, to first collect data; we should establish efficient nutrition surveillance mechanisms. Second, they should establish a national programme to alleviate nutritional deficiencies. “Third, there should be special mechanisms established concentrating on children and pregnant mothers. Fourth, the Health Education Bureau and Ministry of Health should collaboratively focus on the nutritional values of national products such as jackfruit and breadfruit which have a greater nutritional value.” Dr. Ratnasingam noted that the malnutrition issue required urgent attention and should be addressed as early as possible. UNICEF Sri Lanka Spokesperson Bismarck Swangin had recently stated that Sri Lanka had one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in South Asia.  


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