Sri Lanka rejects global report on child malnutrition

• Study says 410,000 girls are malnourished
• Ministry says only 15,763 children in severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 2023

By Sheain Fernandopulle

In response to recent findings published in the British medical journal, The Lancet, concerning child malnutrition and underweight girls, Sri Lanka’s health authorities have rejected the content referred to the portrayal of Sri Lanka. According to the study, 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 Lancet publication, which covers data from 1990 to 2022 and was released on February 29, also ranked Sri Lanka second globally, trailing only behind India, for the highest prevalence of dangerously underweight girls aged 5 to 19 years.

The analysis estimates that nearly 880 million adults and 159 million children lived with obesity in 2022.
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.

Furthermore, the research indicates that unlike in Sri Lanka, the prevalence of underweight individuals has decreased in India over a span of 33 years, starting from 1990.

However, Sri Lankan health authorities have vehemently rejected the conclusions drawn by the global report pertaining to the Sri Lankan context.

Speaking to Daily Mirror, Secretary of the Ministry of Health Dr. Palitha Mahipala said the findings demarcated in the said study can’t be condoned as they contradict the actual scenario in Sri Lanka.

At the same time, Director of the Family Health Bureau Dr. Chithramalee De Silva said they are not satisfied with the data the Lancet used to compile the report.

According to the latest report from the health ministry, Sri Lanka has witnessed severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 15,763 children [1.2%] in 2023 while 2022 saw 18,420 [1.4%] SAM children.

The Health Ministry earlier rejected a report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on child malnutrition in Sri Lanka.