Anchor assistance to research on feeble children

The fight against anemia, a key public health concern in Sri Lanka and a significant contributor to child morbidity rates is being boosted by a research grant by the Anchor Institute.

The US$25,000 grant will support a research programme being led by Ms. Pamoda Gooneratne - Nutritionist, under the supervision of Prof. A. R. Wickremasinghe, Dr. Inoka Uluwaduge and Dr. Deepa Gunasekera of Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya.

The research will study the prevalence of nutritional anemia amongst Sri Lankan primary school children between the age of 5 and 10 years

"The Anchor Institute's mission is to help each and every child reach his or her potential by supporting families and providing the very best in nutrition," Managing Director of Fonterra Brands Lanka, Achyut Reddy, said.

"Fonterra combines expertise in scientific research with a deep knowledge of dairy product development to bring the best in dairy nutrition to families the world over, and the Anchor Institute is proud to be able to provide this support in Sri Lanka"

The grant will go towards a 30-month study to determine the cause and extent of anemia in early childhood.

The findings will provide useful evidence to develop a nutritional guide for Sri Lankan parents and policy makers as anemia is a key public health concern affecting all sectors of society and contributing to child morbidity rates. An estimated 21% of primary school children are affected.

The research grant programme will be continued in the year 2009 as well and research professionals are welcome to make use of this opportunity. Details on the criteria and how to apply are available on the website www.anchorinstitute.com

Fonterra is a multi-national dairy company and one of the world's leading dairy ingredients and consumer businesses. Fonterra is the world's largest exporter of dairy products, with an annual turnover of around US$8.5 billion.