Saturday Aug 15, 2026
Saturday Aug 15, 2026
Saturday, 15 August 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Government has approved a three-year project to strengthen nutrition services for pregnant and lactating mothers and children below five years in four districts identified as facing serious nutritional challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis.
The move was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers this week that the Maternal and Early Childhood Nutrition Services Project will be implemented in Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Polonnaruwa, and Trincomalee, with grant funding of $ 2.73 million from the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) of the World Bank Group.
The initiative is aimed at increasing access to selected community-based nutrition interventions for vulnerable groups, particularly mothers and young children.
“The Government has identified a deterioration in the nutritional status of vulnerable communities as a growing concern, with the economic difficulties that followed the COVID-19 pandemic affecting access to adequate nutrition and related services,” Cabinet Spokesman and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said at the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing on Tuesday.
He said the project will focus on strengthening community-level interventions, with an emphasis on improving access to nutrition services for pregnant and lactating mothers and children under five.
The initiative is expected to complement existing maternal and child health programs by strengthening access to nutrition interventions at the community level and addressing nutritional risks during the critical stages of pregnancy, lactation, and early childhood.
The proposal to this effect was submitted by Health Minister Dr. Jayatissa.
