Indonesia has 6.8 million malnourished babies

JAKARTA (JP): A pediatrician aired concerns on Tuesday that Indonesia will see a miserable younger generation in future coming years following revelations that at least 6.8 million babies are currently suffering from malnutrition here.

Indonesian Society of Pediatricians (IDAI) chairman Jose R.L. Batubara cited results from the 2000 National Census which found that the malnourished babies were among the country's total of 85 million babies and children.

He said many factors had contributed to the situation, including the prolonged economic crisis and the outbreak of violence in a number of regions, which has forced families to live in refugee camps with unhygienic sanitation and poor supplies of nutritious food.

"I believe that the number will definitely grow in the future if our social, economic and political situations remain in crisis," he said.

Other factors include parental ignorance, as well as an inability to afford healthier diets due to the weakening economic condition, he added.

Of the 6.8 million malnourished babies, Batubara said 1.8 million were categorized as "poorly nourished" while the remaining five million were "lacking good nutrition intake".

"One indication of malnutrition is that a baby weighs 60 percent to 80 percent of the normal weight," he said.

Data from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare showed that in the year of 2000, Indonesia was home to a total of eight million people who suffered from malnutrition, one million of whom were in a chronic condition.

Batubara was speaking at a press briefing, marking the launch of a three-year campaign Ini dulu, baru itu (This one first, then that) promoting milk, which was held by milk producer PT Nestle Indonesia.

The drive, targeting children aged from one to nine years old and their parents, was initiated to help the government promote healthier nutrition for children.

According to data from Nestle's internal research, in Indonesia, with a population of more than 200 million each person consumes only five liters of milk every year. This figure is far lower than four other countries in the region, where: in the Philippines, with a population of 70 million, 19 liters is consumed per capita, per year; Thailand's 59 million people consume 22 liters per capita, per year; and Malaysia's 20 million people drink 26 liters per capita, per year.

The company's director of sales and marketing, D. Nandkishore, said the campaign would reach 4,000,000 children by providing free milk for elementary school students, and for babies through the Posyandu (Integrated Community Health Posts). However, he failed to disclose the amount of milk to be freely distributed for each child.

The campaign would be introduced in several major cities, including Jakarta, Surabaya, and Medan.

The programs were jointly held with the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. (emf)