Over 15,000 Lankan children suffering from severe acute malnutrition – report

Over 15,000 children aged under 5 years are reportedly suffering from severe acute malnutrition, according to the ‘Nutrition Month’ report published by the Family Health Bureau of the Ministry of Health for the year 2023.

The report indicates that 15,763 children across the island are currently experiencing severe acute malnutrition.

However, this figure is lower than the total of SAM cases recorded in 2022, which stood at 18,420. Meanwhile, the percentage of children aged under 5 who are underweight has increased from 15.3% in 2022 to 17.1% in 2023, with Nuwara Eliya recording the highest underweight percentage at 26.4%. The report highlights that, compared to the nutrition data from 2022, all districts except Vavuniya have shown an increase in underweight percentages.

In 2023, the percentages of children under 5 years experiencing growth faltering, underweight issues, and stunting have increased compared to 2022, while a slight reduction is observed in wasting and overweight/obesity. This trend is observed in all age categories (infant, 1-2 years, 2-5 years) and in all three sectors (urban, rural, and estate).

The report states, ‘In children under 5 years, from 2020 to 2023, it was observed that underweight and stunting have increased, whereas wasting and overweight have reduced from 2022 to 2023. Compared to 2022, indicators on maternal nutrition (low BMI, anemia, and LBW) have increased slightly over the year.