Over 40% of children in Sri Lanka suffer from nourishment-related health issues including growth faltering, wasting, stunting, anaemia, and obesity. Remedying this critical situation should be a national priority, demanding focused efforts from a range of stakeholders. 

Anaemia, characterised by a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream due to iron deficiency, is particularly concerning among Sri Lankan children. Currently, anaemia rates exceed 20%, significantly impacting children’s educational performance and future opportunities. Children affected by the condition often struggle academically, reducing their chances of leading successful, independent lives.

However, today, children no longer need to be subject to worse educational outcomes due to a lack of iron in their diet. Rice fortification, an approach endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), has demonstrated remarkable success in countries like India and Bangladesh, where fortified rice introduced into school meal programmes led to significant reductions in anaemia rates.

For those unfamiliar, rice fortification involves a process called extrusion, where essential micronutrients – such as folic acid, non-haem iron, and vitamin B12 – are mixed with rice flour, shaped into kernels, and blended with regular rice at a ratio of approximately one fortified grain to 99 regular grains. Importantly, this process involves no genetic modification.

Connect to Care has worked extensively with the PATH Foundation, one of the world’s largest health-focused not-for-profits, the Education and Health Ministries, and Akshata, a specialist in traditional Sri Lakan rice varieties, to bring rice fortification technologies and a distribution pathway for fortified rice in Sri Lanka.

Fortified rice is already reaching Sri Lankan schools, and while initially fortified kernels were sourced externally, the country now has its own domestic fortification capability. This successful collaboration between private sector entities, global NGOs, and the Sri Lankan Government mirrors a historical precedent in Sri Lanka’s public health sector.

In 1995, faced with rising goitre prevalence, the Government made salt iodisation mandatory. Within a decade, goitre prevalence fell by over 80%, eliminating it as a significant public health concern. This lesser-known success story underscores the transformative potential of food fortification.

To eliminate anaemia as a major health concern, the next crucial step is ensuring widespread distribution, particularly targeting vulnerable children nationwide. Continued collaboration between Government and private sectors will be essential to achieving universal access to iron-rich rice.

Sri Lanka is now positioned to offer its children healthier, anaemia-free futures, reflecting a determined and collective effort to overcome one of the nation’s most persistent public health challenges.

(The writer is the Chief Executive Officer of Connect to Care, a purpose-driven boutique consultancy focusing on delivering mutual benefit for corporates, nonprofits, and government partners through the strategic deployment of social impact initiatives)