Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that given the alarming increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Sri Lanka, it is essential that all professionals in the field of nutrition work together to educate people on healthy and unhealthy food and eating a balanced diet. He was addressing the gathering after opening the new Nutrition Unit at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (Colombo National Hospital) (NHSL) recently. According to the minister, at the moment there are just a few nutrition consultants in Sri Lanka, and this number should be increased at least up to 100. There are about 500 nutritionists in the country at the moment. This number should also be increased in order to educate people at village level. Cabinet papers will be presented soon in connection with introducing plain packaging for cigarettes and banning the sale of single cigarettes, he added.