By The Pulseline News Desk
The Government has approved a three-year project to strengthen nutrition services for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and children under five in four districts identified as particularly vulnerable to worsening nutritional conditions.
The Maternal and Early Childhood Nutrition Services Project will be implemented in Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee, targeting communities where the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and Sri Lanka’s economic crisis have placed additional pressure on household nutrition and access to essential services.
The project will be funded through a $2.73 million grant from the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) of the World Bank Group, allowing the Government to expand community-level interventions without adding to the country’s domestic financing burden.
Focus on mothers and children
The programme is designed to improve access to selected community-based nutrition services for pregnant and lactating mothers and children below the age of five.
These groups are particularly important to long-term public health because inadequate nutrition during pregnancy and the first years of life can affect a child’s physical growth, development and future health outcomes.
Rather than focusing solely on treatment after malnutrition occurs, the project is expected to strengthen access to services at community level, bringing nutrition support closer to vulnerable families.
Four districts targeted
The selection of Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee reflects the need to direct assistance towards communities facing greater socioeconomic and nutritional vulnerabilities.
The pandemic disrupted health and community services while the subsequent economic crisis affected household purchasing power, food access and the ability of vulnerable families to maintain adequate diets.
The Government has therefore identified improved access to nutrition services as an important component of strengthening maternal and early childhood health.
International support for local services
The $2.73 million grant will be provided through the Japan Social Development Fund, a World Bank Group mechanism that supports development initiatives targeting vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.
The external financing is expected to help strengthen service delivery at community level and improve the ability of health and related services to reach mothers and young children who may otherwise face barriers to accessing adequate nutrition support.
Three-year implementation
The proposal to implement the project over a period of three years was submitted by the Minister of Health and Mass Media and subsequently approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The project comes as Sri Lanka continues to rebuild social protection and essential health services following the economic crisis, with particular attention being placed on groups whose nutritional and health needs can have long-term consequences.
For pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children under five, timely access to appropriate nutrition services can make a critical difference — not only in preventing immediate nutritional deficiencies but also in protecting child development and reducing the longer-term health burden.
The Government now intends to use the World Bank-backed programme to strengthen community-based nutrition support in the four selected districts, with the broader objective of ensuring that vulnerable mothers and young children are not left behind as Sri Lanka continues its economic and social recovery.
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