Undernourishment as well as over-nutrition plaguing some of SL’s schoolchildren – minister
By Ifham Nizam
Nearly 15.3% of Sri Lanka’s schoolchildren are suffering from undernourishment while another 7.3% are suffering from over-nutrition, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera said recently.
Speaking at the launch of the `Empowered Rice to Children’ program at the Colombo Ramada, Amaraweera said that though the available statistics regarding child nutrition were at different levels, it seems that there are a number of reasons causing child malnutrition in the country. He hinted that the economic crises was a major stumbling block to the wellbeing of local children.
‘Because of the current economic situation, parents are not in a position to provide nutritious food to their children. This has caused the poor nutritional levels among children here, while another group of children are suffering from over-nutrition, he added.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Presidential Secretariat and the World Food Program will jointly start a midday meal program to improve the nutritional status of children below grade five this month, official sources said.
These sources added: ‘With the aim of improving the nutritional status of schoolchildren, the Food Promotion Board has started the preparation of Fortified Rice, which is prepared by mixing iron and folic acid with rice.
Meanwhile, Palinda Sagara, chairman, Food Promotion Board, said that the production of such rice has already started in the Kalankuttia rice mill belonging to the Board.
Under this program, 500,000 schoolchildren are to be given midday meals, including fortified rice, for a period of eight months. For this program, the World Food Program has allocated Rs. 108 million to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Minister Amaraweera, Minister of Health Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Chief of Staff and National Security Adviser to the President Sagala Ratnayake, Country Representative to the World Food Program Abdur Rahim Siddique and others participated in the event.
Fortified rice containing iron and folic acid was officially handed over to the Ministry of Education at the event. The rice was handed over by Minister Amaraweera to the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Ms. Kumari Parsiyala.
Amaraweera added: ‘When I was the Deputy Minister of Health, in a survey conducted in connection with canteens in Colombo schools, it was reported that the number of doughnuts sold at a popular school’s canteen was 3,500 per day. Due to these reasons, 15 and 16 year old children are also facing non-communicable diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. Therefore, I request the Food Promotion Board to ensure that the children get the nutrition they need from this fortified rice.’
Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said: ‘Though Sri Lanka was called the Granary of the East, even in 1948 when the country received independence, enough rice was not produced in this country for the people. That is why we had to sign a rice-rubber agreement with the Chinese government at that time. However, currently the rice we need is produced in our country. We import only a few varieties of rice which are not produced in our country.
‘As the Minister of Health, one of the main issues I see is the current lack of nutrition among school- children. There are many reasons for this. But I believe that the nutritional deficiencies of many school- children will be eliminated through this rice empowerment program that will be launched today.’
