'Knowledge on nutrition is lacking'

As malnutrition cases across the country hit the headlines, reports pour in on the death toll, mainly children, many people have deplored the sluggish response by the central government in dealing with the problem, which is essentially a symptom of extreme poverty. The Jakarta Post asked residents for their thoughts on the issue.

Ruri, 26, is a lecturer at the School of Economics, University of Indonesia. She lives with her husband in Kalibata, South Jakarta:

I believe cases of malnutrition might have been occurring in Indonesia long before they hit the headlines recently. This problem actually reflects the chronic problems of knowledge about nutrition.

Many people in our society know nothing about nutrition. A housewife, who is a neighbor of mine, gives her children instant noodles almost every day. She does not realize that instant foods like that have almost zero nutritional value.

Moreover, many toddlers are consuming junk food rather than fresh, healthy meals.

The problem is more than just poverty, but more about the lack of knowledge about health and nutrition. The health ministry and its agencies should require nutritional facts on all packages of instant foods, like I see in many foreign countries. They should also do door-to-door campaigns to spread information about the need for proper nutrition.

Rotua, 31, is an architect. She lives with her husband and a daughter in Ciracas, East Jakarta:

I think malnutrition is a problem related to knowledge. But the cases in Indonesia are more than that.

We can see on TV that the children reportedly suffering from malnutrition come from poor families in poor regions. It means that these people do not have anything to eat, let alone the option to eat nutritious food.

Indonesia has long been battling poverty, but apparently to no avail if there are still children dying of hunger.

I think the government has to move fast to avoid more deaths. I believe everyone of us would give a hand if the government showed us how and where we can distribute aid.

-- The Jakarta Post