Yogyakarta earmarks Rp 2.2b to wipe out malnutrition

Slamet Susanto ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Yogyakarta   |  Tue, 03/18/2008 11:17 AM  |  The Archipelago

The Yogyakarta provincial administration has allocated Rp 2.2 billion (US$244,000) this year to eradicate malnutrition through a food supplement program.

The provincial health office recorded 1,500 cases of malnourished children aged under five from January to March this year. The figure is likely to increase with rising prices for daily necessities, especially food.

In 2007, Yogyakarta recorded 1,900 severe malnutrition cases involving children of the same age group, with another 20,000 children undernourished.

Yogyakarta Health Office head Bondan Agus Suryanto said the number of malnutrition cases was spread evenly in four regencies and in Yogyakarta city.

"Malnourished children in Yogyakarta account for around 1.03 percent of the 200,000 children under the age of five. This figure is relatively lower than the national rate of 8.1 percent, but this is a serious problem that requires immediate attention," Bondan said.

The main causes of malnutrition are poverty and parents' lack of knowledge of proper nutritional requirements, he said.

He said another cause was tuberculosis.

Bondan hopes the food supplement program provided by health service posts across the province will help improve the diets of sick children.

"The supplements are in the form of bread, milk and other nutritious food," Bondan said.

The health office has also exempted children suffering from malnutrition from medical fees, which will instead be covered by Yogyakarta's social welfare insurance. "We have guaranteed them free medical care," Bondan said.

He said the health office was also working with relevant agencies to address the problem, but called on the public to help provide families with food supplements.

Yogyakarta city health office head Choirul Anwar said parents' ignorance of proper nutrition could be blamed for widespread malnutrition.

"Parents have ignored the old-fashioned but effective nutritional concept of empat sehat lima sempurna (four's healthy, five's ideal) that used to be followed," Choirul said, referring to the five food groups.

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.