With up to one-third of Sri Lankan school children suffering from some form of malnutrition1, Sri Lankan dairy company Fonterra Brands Lanka launched the Anchor Kiri Shakthi Jaya Shakthi campaign which aims to improve the country’s nutrition standards.

The campaign kicked-off simultaneously in 4 schools in Biyagama, Anuradhapura, Ampara and Hambantota today.

At the main launch, which took place at the Biyagama Kanishta Vidyalaya, where free Anchor milk was distributed among the school children, both teachers and children were educated on the importance of correct nutrition for growth and development.

As an integral part of this campaign and Anchor’s commitment to improving the nutritional status of children in Sri Lanka, Anchor plans to provide free milk samples to half a million school children across the country. Free milk will be given with every pack of Anchor 400g for a period of one month starting in March to coincide with the Anchor Kiri Shakthi Jaya Shakthi campaign.

Research has pin-pointed that one third of Sri Lankan children suffer from some form of malnutrition. 21.6% of pre-school kids are underweight and 18% are stunted as a result of inadequate nutrition. Even more dismal is the finding that as much as 29.9% preschool children suffer from anaemia while 36% suffer from Vitamin A deficiency that affects eyesight. If malnutrition continues unabated, the nation would not only face a higher cost of healthcare, but it would have an effect on our Gross Domestic Production. It has also been estimated that iron deficiency contributes to a 5% loss in GDP in developing countries leading to reduced worker efficiency.

"In line with our long term commitment to Sri Lanka, this is a two year programme, with scope to extend further. We recognize there are no quick-fixes to this problem and that we need to approach the issue from many angles," said .Managing Director,Fonterra,Achyut Reddy.

The Anchor Kiri Shakthi Jaya Shakthi campaign will partner the Department of Applied Nutrition of the Wayamaba University of Sri Lanka to educate mothers on providing children with the right level of nutrition for optimum growth and development, thus helping to reduce widespread malnutrition in the country.