Yuli Tri Suwarni, 03/19/2011
More than 250,000 children under the age of five suffers from malnutrition in West Java’s impoverished northern coastal regions, an official says.
West Java Health Agency head Alma Lucyati said more than 7,000 of the children suffered from severe malnutrition. They are mostly from Sukabumi, Cianjur, Garut, Sume-dang, Karawang, Majalengka, Ku-ningan and Cirebon.
“Cases of malnutrition are difficult to eradicate mainly because of low income and lack of knowledge about nutritionally rich food and healthy lifestyles,” Alma said in Bandung on Friday.
She claimed, however, that the figure had decreased compared to previous years. In 2009, 10 percent of the province’s 3.5 million children under the age of five suffered from malnutrition. The figure decreased to 8 percent in 2010.
“We do not differentiate between children from wealthy families and poor ones because incidents of malnutrition are prevalent in both cases,” Alma said.
She added that in most cases, children were malnourished from before birth. Data from the agency showed 11.5 percent of newborns in the province weighed less than 2.5 kilograms, with the mothers also suffering from malnutrition.
“We need to work with different institutions to deal with the problem,” Alma said, adding that she was confident such cooperation combined with poverty eradication programs would help address the issue.
She said the province had increased its health budget from 4.7 percent of its total budget of Rp 744 billion (US$84.6 million) last year to 7.6 percent this year.
“It is important for us to revive the integrated health service posts [posyandu] to make health care accessible at the grass roots level,” Alma said.
Malnutrition and limited access to health services have also been blamed as the main causes of high mortality among babies and among expectant mothers.
The agency’s 2010 data showed 39 newborn babies and 19 mothers died for every 100,000 births. The national average is 34 newborn babies and 19 mothers.
West Java Women’s Empowerment and Family Planning Agency (BPPKB) head Sri Asmawati Kusumawardani cited the parents’ low level of education as another factor leading to high rates of malnutrition among children in the province, a condition that leads parents to marrying off their daughters at a young age.
She said girls in West Java got married at the age of 18.05 years on average, accounting for the high fertility rate in the province of three children per woman.
“Such a population problem gives rise to numerous other problems, especially those related to educating on improving quality of life, including on nutrition,” Sri said.
Over 250,000 children in West Java malnourished
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03/19/over-250000-children-west-java-malnourished.html
More than 250,000 children under the age of five suffers from malnutrition in West Java’s impoverished northern coastal regions, an official says.
West Java Health Agency head Alma Lucyati said more than 7,000 of the children suffered from severe malnutrition. They are mostly from Sukabumi, Cianjur, Garut, Sume-dang, Karawang, Majalengka, Ku-ningan and Cirebon.
“Cases of malnutrition are difficult to eradicate mainly because of low income and lack of knowledge about nutritionally rich food and healthy lifestyles,” Alma said in Bandung on Friday.
She claimed, however, that the figure had decreased compared to previous years. In 2009, 10 percent of the province’s 3.5 million children under the age of five suffered from malnutrition. The figure decreased to 8 percent in 2010.
“We do not differentiate between children from wealthy families and poor ones because incidents of malnutrition are prevalent in both cases,” Alma said.
She added that in most cases, children were malnourished from before birth. Data from the agency showed 11.5 percent of newborns in the province weighed less than 2.5 kilograms, with the mothers also suffering from malnutrition.
“We need to work with different institutions to deal with the problem,” Alma said, adding that she was confident such cooperation combined with poverty eradication programs would help address the issue.
She said the province had increased its health budget from 4.7 percent of its total budget of Rp 744 billion (US$84.6 million) last year to 7.6 percent this year.
“It is important for us to revive the integrated health service posts [posyandu] to make health care accessible at the grass roots level,” Alma said.
Malnutrition and limited access to health services have also been blamed as the main causes of high mortality among babies and among expectant mothers.
The agency’s 2010 data showed 39 newborn babies and 19 mothers died for every 100,000 births. The national average is 34 newborn babies and 19 mothers.
West Java Women’s Empowerment and Family Planning Agency (BPPKB) head Sri Asmawati Kusumawardani cited the parents’ low level of education as another factor leading to high rates of malnutrition among children in the province, a condition that leads parents to marrying off their daughters at a young age.
She said girls in West Java got married at the age of 18.05 years on average, accounting for the high fertility rate in the province of three children per woman.
“Such a population problem gives rise to numerous other problems, especially those related to educating on improving quality of life, including on nutrition,” Sri said.
Over 250,000 children in West Java malnourished
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03/19/over-250000-children-west-java-malnourished.html
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