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The NPP government’s ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ campaign has already received mixed reactions from the public. While some have applauded the initiative, others continue to debate on whether the government, like previous governments have gotten their priorities mixed. The government announced this project by initiating to remove all unwanted modifications in public transport. However the official project website indicates that this project ‘aims to address a cleaner physical environment and a nationwide moral commitment to enhance ethical principles’.
One of the justifications regarding the removal of unwanted vehicle modifications was to reduce road accidents. But there are other socio-economic indicators that have kept people on the edge. One of the most concerning health indicators is the rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). According to a 2022 World Bank study, NCDs including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, strokes and cancers account for nearly 90% of the disease burden in Sri Lanka. The Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.4 requires countries to aim to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030. According to WHO, Maldives and Sri Lanka are two regional countries that are expected to meet this SDG target by 2030.
Health Ministry statistics indicate that 23% of the urban population in Sri Lanka suffer from diabetes while another 30% have shown pre-diabetic symptoms. On the other hand 33,000 new cancer patients were identified in Sri Lanka in 2024. All these recorded statistics are examples to show that there is indeed an increasing health burden that would challenge the country’s decision-making process in future.
A recent social media campaign indicated that instead of opening new units at the Cancer Hospital the government should impose bans on carcinogenic additives and preservatives added to food. People have voiced against junk food campaigns promoted by multinational companies and its irreversible impact on the health of the population including that of children. Fancy advertising campaigns with fake colours and photos have attracted a greater percentage of the young population that at one point, nutritionists and food experts thought that they were losing the battle. At the rural level, children were becoming addicted to short eats and other food items readily available in the ‘choon paan’ – a mobile bakery that travel around rural areas during morning and afternoon hours.
Continuous campaigns by nutritionists, paediatricians and food experts resulted in bringing about some important amendments to the Food Act No. 20 of 1980 which is yet to be passed in Parliament. One amendment indicates that ‘a person shall not advertise any advertisement containing any health claim or nutrient function claim relating to any food, without prior written approval of the Chief Food Authority. The reference number mentioned in the “Letter of Approval” shall be displayed along with the advertisement’.
For the longest time, the Sri Lankan populace has been misled by various kinds of advertisements that attracted various audiences. The advertisements are made using eye-catching taglines, slogans and creative campaigns and ultimately it is the people who fall victim. Some advertisements are aired during prime time news bulletins so that it would receive maximum attention from viewers. A new trend in news bulletins is that the Top Story or the first news item is being sponsored by a big brand. These deals are inked depending on their monetary value. That is their Return on Investment while people suffer at the hands of these multinational companies.
At a recent event, Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that the highest-ever allocation of funds for the health sector will be made in this year’s budgetary proposal. The solution to this crisis should go beyond allocating money to treat patients. A public health inspector who reportedly uncovered alarming revelations regarding establishments selling rotten food was shot dead in February last year. While the purpose of the shooting is yet to be revealed, several months later a contradictory statement was issued to the media indicating that it was a case of mistaken identity. Mistaken or otherwise, this public servant was laid to rest. It is up to the new government to ensure that its population remains as healthy as possible, if it wants to stay true to the mission of the Clean Sri Lanka initiative.