National Nutritional Council to fight high incidence of NCDs
Nethali STRUYS
The Health Ministry has set up a National Nutritional Council in
collaboration with 11 other ministries to overcome the high incidence of
non communicable diseases in the country, said Health Ministry spokesman
W. M. D. Wanninayaka.
It is the world's first ever council set up to foster nutritional
development in a country.
The main NCDs are diabetes, cardiac diseases, cancer and respiratory
ailments. The main causes for these diseases are unhealthy eating
habits, nonavailability of healthy food and the inability of people to
access nutritious food. Most health problems can be overcome by
consuming healthy and nutritious food, Wanninayaka said.
He said overcoming this situation cannot be done only by the Health
Ministry and therefore under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa,
the National Nutritional Council was set up with the collaboration of 11
other ministries.
"We have been holding a national nutritional month annually and this
Council was set up to strengthen the programmes that are being carried
out," he said.
The nutritional policy will be carried out under this Council.
Each ministry is to carry out various programmes and projects at
different levels to overcome the health hazards the country is facing.
The Education, Agriculture and Social Services Ministries are among
those involved in this, he said. |
