Children's state of health static, says Minister Sujudi
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.