JP/5/FOOD

JP/5/FOOD

More people in West Nusa Tenggara die of malnutrition

Luh Putu Trisna Wahyuni
The Jakarta Post/Mataram

An infant has died of malnutrition in West Nusa Tenggara
province, bringing to eight the number of people who have died
of the affliction since January, a senior health official said on
Friday.

Two of the victims were from Mataram city, five from West
Lombok regency and one from Central Lombok regency, according to
the spokesman for Mataram General Hospital, Rudi Syarif Iskandar.

The latest casualty was identified as Nurahmah, a 10-month-old
girl from Janapria, Central Lombok regency. She died on Tuesday
afternoon after being treated for a week at Mataram General
Hospital, the main hospital in West Nusa Tenggara.

Hundreds of people in West Nusa Tenggara have been identified
with malnutrition since January. According to government data,
338 people in four regencies and municipalities have been
diagnosed with the affliction.

Malnutrition is not unknown to the province, which is
ironically known as a major rice producer in the country.

In the same period last year, 822 malnutrition cases were
reported in the province, though there were no deaths.

Another senior government official said the incidence of
malnutrition in the province was much higher than the national
rate.

"The number of infants annually affected by malnutrition in
the province is 10 percent of the total infant population in the
province, while the national rate is 8 percent," said the deputy
chief of the West Nusa Tenggara Health Office, I Komang Gerudug.

He said this was caused by several factors, including poverty
and a lack of knowledge about nutrition.

West Nusa Tenggara provincial government spokesman Lalu Gita
Aryadi said the residents lack of knowledge about nutrition was
to blame for the high rate of malnutrition in the province. The
spokesman also placed part of the blame on the People's Welfare
Movement (PKK) for failing effectively to combat malnutrition
through its subdistrict service posts.

He said the PKK should be more proactive in providing
nutritious food to infants to help prevent malnutrition.

The West Lombok regency administration announced on Friday it
would provide free milk to designated infants in the regency. The
Central Lombok regency has also set aside funds to provide free
medical care for those suffering from malnutrition.

Under this program, anyone affected with malnutrition would
receive Rp 3,000 (31 US cents) a day for 90 days, starting on
Friday.

The high number of malnutrition cases in the province came to
light on Wednesday during a meeting attended by high-ranking
government officials in the province. A government official
reported that dozens of people had been diagnosed with
malnutrition since January and that seven people had died.

The cases have made headlines around the country, attracting
the attention of the central government. Alwi Shihab, the
coordinating minister for people's welfare, said the central
government had dispatched a team to the province to deal with the
problem.