Ministry of Health collaborates with FAO to launch dietary guidelines for Sri Lankans

Dr L. Somatunge – Additional Secretary (Public Health Services) launching the Sri Lanka Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs). Also present are Dr Susie Perera – Deputy Director General, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Dr Lakmini Magodarathna – Deputy Director, Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health, Dr Anoma Basnayake – Consultant Community Physician, Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health, and other doctors attached to the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the Sri Lanka Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) at an event held in Colombo.

Country specific FBDGs are one of the FAO/WHO recommended tools to improve healthy eating habits and lifestyles of individuals and populations. Sri Lanka was one of the countries to endorse the FBDGs in the Framework for Action agreed at the Second International Conference on Nutrition. The Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (also known as dietary guidelines) are intended to establish a basis for public food and nutrition, health and agricultural policies and nutrition education programmes to foster healthy eating habits and lifestyles. The guidelines provide advice on foods, food groups and dietary patterns to provide the required nutrients to the general public to promote overall health and prevent chronic diseases.

Sri Lanka first published food-based dietary guidelines in 2002. A revised version was launched in 2011.

“A quick reference guide with the most relevant facts for better nutrition is a public need,” said Dr Susie Perera, Deputy Director General, Public Health Services of the Ministry of Health. “A lot of hard work in the form of extensive research and stakeholder consultations went into the development of this guideline. A wide circulation to empower people with these facts are needed. Therefore the next steps of implementation and dissemination of the dietary guidelines are equally important.”