Children's state of health static, says Minister Sujudi

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

No improvement has been made in the overall health condition of children in the country as the economic crisis has plunged most of the population into poverty, Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi said.

"Since the economic crisis hit Indonesia, the general health of the nation's children has stagnated," he told a press conference on Tuesday held in conjunction with the World Health Day (WHD), which falls on April 7.

The World Health Organization (WHO) adopts "A Healthy Environments for Children" as the theme of this year's WHD.

Infant mortality rates in Indonesia have been fluctuating since the crisis battered the country in 1997. In 1998, the country succeeded in decreasing the mortality rate from 60 per 1,000 life babies in 1995 to 49. However, in 2001 the rate rose to 51.

Sujudi said the most important step needed to provide a healthy environment for children was poverty alleviation.

"Children are the priority as they are most affected when general health conditions worsen. For example, in conflict areas like Poso or Aceh, they have become refugees. In refugee camps where clean water is absent and sanitation is poor, the health of children deteriorates faster than that of adults," he said.

During the conference, WHO representative in Indonesia Fritz de Hans said that every year over 5 million children aged between 0 and 14 died in the world, mainly in developing countries, from diseases related to their environment.

WHO has designated six key areas that threatens the health of children, namely: unsafe drinking water, poor hygiene and sanitation, air pollution, vector borne diseases, chemical risks, and accidents and violence.

In Indonesia, acute respiratory infections (ISPA) and diarrhea, which are mainly caused by air pollution, unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation, are the main cause of death for children aged one to four years old. According to a 2001 national health survey, the ISPA mortality rate reached 23 percent, while diarrhea reached 13 percent.

"However, I hope to see improvement in children's life as Indonesia has enacted a law on child protection," Sujudi said.

The law assures children of their rights to live and grow properly, it gives them protection against violence and discrimination and calls for professional medical treatment.