A glass of milk free for better nutrition

Nadira Gunatilleke

The Government has made arrangements to provide a free glass of milk to all malnourished children between the ages of 2 and 5 years. Rs.1500 million has been allocated this year to implement this program and it will cover 174,000 children.

The children of Samurdhi recipient families qualify for this program automatically, Child Development and Women's Empowerment Ministry Secretary M. Sumanadasa said.

Addressing a press briefing held at the Government Information Department auditorium yesterday he said that under this program all malnourished children between the ages of 24 months and 60 months will be entitled to 200 ml of milk per day for 25 days a month. They will be issued a special stamp worth Rs.200 (per month) to obtain the free milk ration. The children will be selected through family health officers.

All Divisional Secretaries will be paid a transport cost of Rs.10 per one litre of milk. Under the `Mahinda Chinthana' policy it is promised to provide the best for children and a glass of milk for malnourished children. Accordingly, a free glass of glass of milk was provided to 46,000 children in 84 Divisional Secretariats by 2008 and the program is being carried out successfully.

Over Rs.3 million has already been granted to the Vavuniya Divisional Secretariat to implement this program for malnourished children coming from the uncleared areas. It has been discovered that children coming from the uncleared areas have been suffering from severe malnutrition and more funds will be allocated for this program according to the requirements.

Sri Lanka spent Rs.20 billion to import 62,000 metric tons of milk powder in 2008 and the use of liquid milk is gradually becoming popular among the public especially in urban areas.

Liquid milk production is also going up and the program will promote the nutrition of children while strengthening the economy of dairy farmers. It is discovered that 80 per cent of a child's brain grows before the age of five and underweight children are more prone to get non communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart aliments when they become adults.