Malnutrition in Sri Lanka : Scale, Scope, Causes, and Potential Response
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a set of eight goals which United Nations member countries are committed to reach by 2015. The first MDG is to eradicate poverty and hunger. This report focuses on the attainment of human development-rela...
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| Format: | Other Health Study |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/09/8996660/sri-lanka-malnutrition-sri-lanka-scale-scope-causes-potential-response http://hdl.handle.net/10986/7656 |
| Summary: | The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
are a set of eight goals which United Nations member
countries are committed to reach by 2015. The first MDG is
to eradicate poverty and hunger. This report focuses on the
attainment of human development-related MDG by sub-national
units in Sri Lanka relating to poor and integrating
nutrition with other sectoral activities, including health,
agriculture, education, economic reform, and rural
development. It primarily focuses on developing a
programmatic framework for the health sector. Malnutrition
includes both under nutrition and overweight. Overweight
predisposes the population to higher risks of cardiovascular
diseases, diabetes, and other noncommunicable diseases
(NCDs). Even with relatively optimistic assumptions about
economic growth, it alone is insufficient to meet the MDGs.
The Government of Sri Lanka's (GOSL'S) current
policy response to malnutrition consists of three broad
strategies: direct food assistance programs, poverty
reduction programs and the provision of an integrated
package of maternal and child health and nutrition services
through the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition.
Complementary strategies to reduce poverty or to improve
access to safe water and sanitation must be specifically
designed to reduce inequalities. GOSL and the World Bank
both recognize the need to address malnutrition. Sri Lanka
needs to focus on three key changes to appropriately address
malnutrition: (a) Finance a technically correct set of
strategies and interventions in an economically justifiable
formulation to maximize cost-effectiveness; (b) Ensure a
high level of political commitment to sustain these actions;
and (c) Identify the appropirate instiutional arrangements
and develop necessary capacities in these instiutions. |
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