Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, Mataram | Archipelago | Mon, October 22 2012, 9:43 AM

Malnutrition has remained a scourge in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) despite the ideal number of Integrated Health Posts (posyandu) compared to children below the age of 5 as claimed by the provincial administration in NTB.

People’s low awareness about bringing their children to the posyandu, poor parental care and poverty are still deemed as part of the factors behind malnutrition in NTB.

The NTB health office recorded, as of August this year, at least 507 malnourished children below the age of 5, with 20 fatalities. The cases were detected in all the 10 regencies and mayoralties in NTB. By comparison, there were 32 fatalities out of 1,092 malnutrition cases in the province in 2011.

“The malnutrition cases are found in all the regencies and mayoralties in NTB. Some of the patients are still being treated, while the condition of others has improved,” NTB health office’s community health counseling affairs nutrition section head Taufiq Hari Suryanto said over the weekend.

The cases were found in Mataram (12 cases with one death), West Lombok (100 cases with 4 deaths), Central Lombok (57 cases with 4 deaths), North Lombok (117 cases with 4 deaths), Sumbawa (80 cases with 1 death), West Sumbawa (5 cases), Dompu (50 cases with 1 death), Bima (34 cases with 2 deaths) and Bima municipality (22 cases).

“So, as of August this year, there have been 507 cases, 20 of which resulted in death,” said Taufiq.

According to Taufiq, the NTB health office received data as of September this year from the health offices of the respective regencies and mayoralties in NTB.

He explained that the malnutrition status of a child under 5 was determined through three lengthy and complex stages.

“The lengthy process also tends to be slow in obtaining data. So, the assumption is if in August 2012 the number of cases has reached 507, the facts in the field may likely be higher,” he said.

According to Taufiq, of the 507 malnutrition cases, 118 of the patients suffered from severe malnutrition (marasmus), three from the disease kwashiorkor and six cases of marasmus and kwashiorkor clinical symptoms.

Taufiq said not all malnutrition cases in NTB were caused by the poverty factor, many were also triggered by poor parental care as well as people’s low awareness about bringing their children to the posyandu.

According to him, the number of posyandu in NTB is in line with the number of young children according to WHO standards, or one posyandu serving 100 children under 5.

“In NTB, there are currently 6,100 posyandu serving around 600,000 toddlers. So, actually the number is ideal, but not all people are aware enough to bring their children to the posyandu,” he said.

Taufiq emphasized that malnutrition in NTB should be handled in an integrated manner by involving the relevant agencies, especially in prevention efforts.

The NTB provincial administration and regency and mayoralty administrations have implemented free treatment for young children suffering from malnutrition.

However, in many cases, most of the parents of patients getting treatment at the puskesmas and hospitals have instead insisted on bringing their children home or sometimes run away.

“There should be a joint effort to raise public awareness because malnutrition has a negative impact on the level of toddlers’ health which will also have an impact on future generations in NTB,” he said.

Separately, NTB Governor Zainal Majdi said malnutrition in NTB was not only due to poverty and food shortages, but he blamed the culture and poor parental care.

“I‘ve visited patients in a puskesmas on Lombok, and it turned out that the mother of the patient wore a big gold bracelet and his father was smoking expensive clove cigarettes. This shows that they are not facing financial constraints.”