Decrease in severe acute malnutrition, overweight and obesity among children under 5 in 2023 – Specialists

According to the 2023 Nutrition Data Report, there is a decrease in severe acute malnutrition and overweight and obesity among children under five years in 2023 compared to 2022, Family Health Bureau Director Dr.Chitramali De Silva revealed. She was speaking at the National Nutrition Month 2023 summary nutrition data release and media awareness meeting held yesterday afternoon (14) at the Ministry of Health Auditorium.

The National Nutrition Month 2023 was implemented from July 1 to 30. During the month of June, Nutrition Month activities were conducted throughout the country with the objectives of raising nutritional status, obtaining data on nutritional status at the national level, and providing updated data to health and non-health stakeholders.

The nutritional status of children under five years of age, the nutritional status of pregnant mothers, and the nutritional status of school students are included in this brief report.

Out of 356 medical officer divisions covering 6915 family health service officer divisions, the national data reporting percentage is 100 percent.

According to the facts pointed out in this press conference, 1,406,213 children under the age of five years have been registered by the family health service officers, and the growth of 96.5 percent of them has been assessed.

Ampara and Kilinochchi districts have recorded 100 percent coverage, while the lowest coverage percentage of 71.8 percent has been recorded in the Colombo Municipal Council area.

According to the facts pointed out in this media meeting, the acute stunting of children under five years of age, i.e. the presence of very low weight related to length/height (acute severe malnutrition) is shown to decrease, and accordingly the number of children reported at the beginning of October 2022 (18,420 1.4 percent) in the month of June 2023 compared to 15,763 children (1.2 percent). Moreover, reporting of overweight and obesity among children under 05 years of age has decreased.

Community Physician Dr.Kaushalya Kasturiarachchi also pointed out that in 2023 compared to 2022, there will be a decrease in underweight, overweight/obese conditions of babies under 1 year.

It was mentioned here that the percentage of underweight (age-related weight loss) among children under the age of 05 was 17.1 percent, and the highest underweight percentage of 26.4 percent was reported from Nuwara Eliya district.

It was also pointed out here that all the districts except Vavuniya district show an increase in the underweight percentage in the 2022 nutritional data, and an increase in the underweight status in all the urban, rural and estate sectors. The percentage of stunting (weight loss related to length/height) of children under five years of age has been recorded as 10.0 percent, which is the same as in 2022. Polonnaruwa district recorded the highest percentage of aridity, followed by Anuradhapura and Matale districts. Compared to the year 2022.

This report has shown an increase in poverty in all sectors, urban and rural, and the percentage in the urban sector is 8 percent. It was pointed out that the percentage of stunting (lack of height/length for age) of children under five years of age has increased in all districts compared to last year, and Nuwara Eliya district has recorded the highest percentage.

Dr. Chitramali de Silva, Director of the Family Health Bureau, said that it is necessary for everyone to work together to overcome health challenges, and that the Ministry of Health and the health staff alone cannot do this to raise the nutritional status, and the support of all other sectors and ministries is also essential. She pointed out that it is a victory to be able to keep the health indicators in this condition even in an era of economic problems.

The Director of the Family Health Bureau said that vitamin C medicine is used to increase iron absorption and vitamin C tablets are given to pregnant mothers, nursing mothers and schoolchildren to improve their nutritional status.

The conference was headed by the Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena and Community Medicine Specialist, Child and Maternal Health and Family Health Bureau Director Dr. Chitramali De Silva, Community Physicians Kaushalya Kasturiarachchi, Hiranya Jayawickrama, Nutrition Division of the Health Ministry Dr.Lakmini Mathegoda was also present at this press conference.

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