Sri Lanka, June 4 -- Around one in every five Sri Lankan children under the age of five is affected by malnutrition, Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe said yesterday.

Addressing a media briefing at the Health Promotion Bureau, Dr. Jasinghe cited data released for National Nutrition Month 2025, which showed that 10.1% of children under five are stunted, 8.6% are wasted, 16.1% are underweight and 0.57% are overweight.

He said Sri Lanka has not made sufficient progress in improving nutrition levels since independence and noted that several programmes have been introduced in schools and other institutions to address malnutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.

Dr. Jasinghe also expressed concern over the country's ...