School nutrition programme to uplift health standards

The school nutrition programme as provided for in the Mahinda Chintana aims at minimizing children's nutrition problems, providing good food, health habits, ensuring high school attendance and accustoming them to indigenous food habits.

The Government has incurred millions of rupees in providing the mid-day meal to schoolchildren.

The World Food Programme too has provided assistance.

Further the sale of fatty and salty foods, beverages has been banned so as to promote good health and prevent diabetes, obesity, heart ailments etc.

In this 'nutrition month', every step should be taken to improve the health of our children and raise awareness among the children on the need for cultivating indigenous food habits in addition to encouraging them for local food production, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said.