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Family Health Bureau

Child Nutrition Unit

DrHiranya_S_Jayawickrama
Dr.Mrs. Hiranya Jayawickrama

Consultant Community Physician
senanij@hotmail.com

Function of the unit

  • Child Nutrition Unit is responsible for uplifting the nutrition status of children under the age of 5 years in Sri Lanka.
  • Development of policies and strategies, advocacy, provision of technical guidance, etc. at the national level to support the implementation of child nutrition services at the grass root level.
  • Development, implementation, and monitoring of strategic plans, annual implementation plans on child nutrition based on the MCH policy
  • Advocacy to relevant stakeholders on infant and young child feeding (breastfeeding and complementary feeding), growth monitoring and promotion, nutrient supplementation of children under the age of five years, managing nutritional problems of children under the age of five years, child (0-5 years) nutrition during emergency
  • Provision of technical guidance to health staff and other relevant stakeholders in the development and implementation of standards, guidelines, and protocols
  • Capacity building of health staff
    • Development/adaptation of resource material
    • Training of resource personnel
  • Programme communication targeting behavioural change of the community in collaboration with the Health Promotion Bureau
  • Logistics and supportive services – assessment of requirement, procurement and distribution of supplies including vitamin A megadose, therapeutic food for nutrition rehabilitation, multiple micronutrients (MMN), anthropometric equipment for growth monitoring (weighing scales, length/ height measuring equipment, standard weight sets)
  • Revision, printing, and distribution of Child Health and Development Record (CHDR), Preterm growth Charts and other relevant records and returns
  • Annual population survey on child nutrition status as a part of “Nutrition Month” activities
  • Convene Maternal and Child Nutrition Subcommittee chaired by DDG PHS II
  • Convene Breastfeeding Code monitoring committee (chaired by Secretary – Health)
  • Intersectoral and intra sectoral collaboration with regard to improving child nutrition services (including disaster situations)