The Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) is calling on the Sri Lankan Government to urgently bolster primary healthcare programmes aimed at combating child malnutrition, following alarming figures published in the 2025 Nutrition Report by the Family Health Bureau.
MCPA President Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa highlighted that out of 1,173,583 children under five who were measured, over 188,000 are underweight, with 9,554 classified as severely malnourished and 90,789 as moderately malnourished.
He further noted that 118,658 children are below the standard height for their age, while over 100,000 were found to have disproportionate weight-for-height ratios.
“This is a national crisis that needs immediate and targeted action. The Government must prioritise the development of strengthened primary healthcare systems, particularly in regions showing the highest prevalence of malnutrition,” he said.
The report identifies several high-risk districts, including Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Hambantota, Galle, Matara, Monaragala, Kalutara, Gampaha, and Colombo, where a significant number of children face poor nutritional outcomes.
With child health and nutrition emerging as pressing public health challenges, the MCPA insists that a clear, long-term policy must be established to reverse the trend and ensure sustainable wellbeing for Sri Lanka’s youngest generation.
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