Sri Lanka, WFP Strengthen Cooperation on School Nutrition Programmes
Colombo, The Gulf Observer: Representatives of the World Food Programme (WFP) met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at Temple Trees on August 24 to discuss strengthening school nutrition programmes and related health interventions.
During the meeting, WFP representatives expressed their readiness to continue their partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting efforts to improve school nutrition.
The WFP delegation welcomed the positive developments already underway and expressed interest in working closely with the government and relevant stakeholders to further strengthen and expand nutrition interventions within the school system.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya stressed that nutrition remains a major concern and underscored the importance of promoting healthy eating habits alongside strengthening primary and preventive healthcare.
She said the government’s school nutrition programme is currently being implemented in targeted schools and among identified families, while nutrition interventions have also been introduced at the early childhood level.
The Prime Minister also highlighted growing concerns over non-communicable diseases (NCDs), stressing the need to examine the underlying factors contributing to their continued prevalence.
She emphasised that the government’s approach to school nutrition should go beyond providing free meals to targeted communities and should also promote healthier eating habits, greater nutritional awareness and improved dietary practices throughout the school system.
The WFP representatives underscored the importance of strengthening collaboration among universities, the Ministry of Education, United Nations agencies and other relevant stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness and impact of nutrition-related programmes.
Amarasuriya stressed the importance of research- and evidence-based decision-making, noting that policies and programmes related to nutrition and health should be guided by reliable evidence, research and a clear understanding of the underlying causes of nutritional challenges and NCDs.
The meeting was attended by WFP Representative and Country Director Philip Ward, Deputy Country Director and Head of Programmes Robert Oliver, Professor Jayashree Arcot of the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, representatives of WFP, and officials from the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education.
