Two more babies die of malnutrition in Central Java<\/p>\n
KARANGANYAR, Central Java (JP): At least two babies have died
\nof malnutrition, 55 more are severely undernourished while more
\nthan 5,900 under-five-year-old children have been suffering from
\nvarious symptoms of hunger-related diseases over the past two
\nmonths, an official says.<\/p>\n
Farida, the deputy chief of the Karanganyar health office,
\nidentified the two fatalities in the regency as 10-month-old Fika
\nJavira and 21-month-old Purwanti. In addition to severely
\nundernourished, the two babies had suffered from heart problems
\nand bronchitis, Farida said.<\/p>\n
The regency administration has, through its social safety net
\nprogram, distributed nutritious supplementary food for the
\nchildren worth Rp 2,500 per day for 90 days, Farida said.<\/p>\n
Many areas in the country were hit by marasmus, a condition of
\nchronic undernourishment which affects mainly children.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Food and Horticulture A.M. Saefuddin said
\nrecently a total of 165 malnourished babies have died this month
\ndue to hunger-related diseases.<\/p>\n
The minister revealed that reported cases of malnutrition
\naffecting children across the country had jumped from 786 in
\nApril to an estimated 10,000 this month.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, an official in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi has
\nprotested the minister's statements on the tally of infants
\nsuffering from severe malnutrition in the province.<\/p>\n
\"We protest the number revealed by minister A.M. Saefuddin
\nthat there are 152 cases here. We only have 19 children with
\nmalnutrition,\" Thamrin Datjing at the province's ministry for
\nhealth told Antara.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile there were \"2,951 mild and moderate cases of protein
\ndeficiency,\" Thamrin said.<\/p>\n
The office had carried out thorough cross-checks on the
\nminister's data, Thamrin said.<\/p>\n
The cases were mostly in Kendari mayoralty and the regencies
\nof Buton, Kendari, Muna and Kolaka, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The Kolaka Regent has also protested the minister's statement
\nbecause his regency is a prosperous area with the highest welfare
\nlevels in the province,\" Thamrin added.<\/p>\n
Further Thamrin said the rate of marasmus in his province was
\nconsidered relatively low as it was still under 10 percent of the
\ntotal number of 300,000 infants under five.<\/p>\n
Thamrin said the cause of marasmus in the province was mainly
\nthe inability of people to provide nutritious food for their
\nfamilies.<\/p>\n
\"One case is already extraordinary for us, so we'll keep on
\ntracing if there are possibly other children suffering from
\nmalnutrition,\" he said, adding they would be intensively treated.<\/p>\n
Treating the mild and moderate 2,951 cases of protein
\ndeficiency only needed the promotion of more variety in people's
\ndiet, he said.<\/p>\n
Separately in Klaten, Central Java, 8.7 tons of rice aid was
\nhanded over to poor families whose children suffered from
\nmalnutrition, Antara reported Saturday.<\/p>\n
Klaten Regent Kasdi said the aid was given for a three month
\nperiod, in which each child would receive 30 kilograms per month.<\/p>\n
Latest data revealed there were 144,633 families living under
\nthe poverty line.<\/p>\n
The news agency did not say how many people received Friday's
\ndonations. (edt\/emf\/har)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-more-babies-die-of-malnutrition-in-central-java-1447893297",
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