By Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will meet IMF officials next week, Leader of Opposition Sajith Premadasa today said his party will request for IMF assistance for a nutrition package for women and school children.
This request has been made while the recent findings published in the British medical journal on malnutrition have been disputed.
The Lancet, study reports that , approximately 410,000 girls in Sri Lanka are categorized as underweight, representing a prevalence of 16.4%. Despite efforts and initiatives aimed at improving nutrition and healthcare access, the report claims no detectable change in this distressing statistic since 1990.
The study, conducted by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasized that the situation has remained static over the past three decades.
The Health Ministry earlier rejected a report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on child malnutrition in Sri Lanka.
While the dispute continues the leader of the opposition Sajith said his party would focus on seeking assistance from IMF to get rid of malnutrition of Sri Lankan women and children, speaking at a school ceremony in Malwana .
“A census conducted in the year 2022 has revealed that around 25 percent of Sri Lankan school children are under weight. Also it has been found out that Sri Lankan women do not get sufficient food. This is why we are going to seek a nutrition package from the IMF next week,” Mr. Premadasa said.
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“Sajith Premadasa’s Initiative: SJB Seeks IMF Assistance for Nutrition Package Amidst Malnutrition Dispute in Sri Lanka
