Secretary to the President urges all:

'Join country's development journey'

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

"Sri Lanka has faced many problems during the past 30 years. The civil war has ended and the economic war has begun. All Sri Lankans have a major role to play in the journey towards development," said Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga yesterday.

"A nutrition allowance programme is being implemented under the Mahinda Chinthana Future Vision. This will lead the country to development through a healthy nation," he said.

The Divi Neguma one million domestic economic units programme conducted under the guidance of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa also supports to build a healthy nation according to the Mahinda Chinthana Future Vision, he said.

Weeratunga was addressing a Complementary Feeding Day Programme organized by the Medical Research Institute (MRI) in collaboration with the Health Education Bureau under the theme 'Play your role in complementary feeding'.

An exhibition on complementary feeding was also held under the patronage of First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa yesterday.

All these programmes have been conducted under the sponsorship of UNICEF and World Food Programme.

Weeratunga said that the education system in Sri Lanka should also be changed while discussions in this regard will be held with the Education Minister. All programmes on health and nutrition should be started from village and school levels. Physical training is also important for schoolchildren, he said.

"Nutrition is just not only a health problem. It affects many fields in society. All people should be careful about their health and nutrition," he said.

MPs Dr Sudarshini Fernandopulle and Thalatha Atukorale, MRI Director Dr. Anil Samaranayake, Dr. Renuka Jayasinghe and WFP Sri Lankan representative Dr. F.R. Mehtha also participated.