13,000 E. Java infants malnourished

13,000 E. Java infants malnourished

JAKARTA (JP): Thirteen thousand malnourished infants have been
discovered in East Java, with those living in cities more likely
to suffer from the condition, Antara reported on Saturday.

Out of 37 townships in East Java, Surabaya and Sidoarjo, two
of the larger cities in the province, each were found to have
more than 1,000 malnourished babies.

The head of the health office here, Suharsono, said in the
provincial capital of Surabaya that 0.3 percent of the province's
some three million infants were malnourished, an increase from
1997 when the number of malnourished infants reached 0.16
percent.

Suharsono said the 13,000 malnourished infants included only
those who were severely malnourished.

He said that infants in cities were more vulnerable to
malnourishment because of the large number of parents who had
lost their jobs and the parents' shame in bringing their infants
to the local health centers for checkups.

"This shame actually worsens the babies' conditions,"
Suharsono said, adding that parents should bring their infants to
health centers to receive free food and services for their
children.

"I hope people can set aside their embarrassment for the sake
and safety of their babies," Suharsono said.

Antara reported that among the efforts to alleviate the
crisis, East Java had received Rp 21 billion from the social
safety net fund. The money has been allocated to meet the health
needs of pregnant women, new mothers and infants between the ages
of six months and 24 months. The money is also being used to
supplement the diets of the needy.

Meanwhile, East Java Governor Imam Utomo said the province's
nutrition monitoring team requested Rp 1 billion to help feed the
province's infants.

Imam said he had also instructed all regents and mayors in
the province, with a total population of 34.5 million, to set
aside funds to help feed the poor.

Antara also reported on Saturday from Kupang in East Nusa
Tenggara that East Sumba was facing a food shortage because of
crop damage caused by locusts. The locusts began destroying crops
in the area sometime last year.

The head of the food crops section at the agricultural office
here, Umbu Kaludang, said he feared the attacks would continue
into 2002 because the climate in East Sumba regency was conducive
to the locusts.

"People here will likely experience a severe food shortage
because most crops have been destroyed," he was quoted as saying.

The locusts have destroyed thousands of hectares of rice
fields, corn fields and other crops, he said, adding that
insecticides have so far failed to stop the locusts.

The locusts are migrating across the regency from east to
west, and are currently in the hilly area of the Lambanapu area
of Kota Waingapu district.

Umby raised fears that the locusts could spread to West Sumba.
(anr)