Malnutrition 'a big threat' to future human resources

JAKARTA (JP): A nutritionist warned on Monday that acute nutritional deficiencies not recorded for 20 years are making a comeback, presenting the likelihood of a dearth of high-quality human resources in the first decade of the new millennium.

"The negative impact of malnutrition is permanent and cannot be remedied," Soekirman of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said at a media briefing. "The best indicators here are shown by the several (new) cases of nutritional deficiencies, technically called marasmic-kwashiorkor, which were last found here in the late 1970s."

The reports "signify increasing poverty... leading us to ask how widespread the cases are in society".

Soekirman was accompanied by LIPI chairman Soefjan Tsauri.

Marasmic-kwashiorkor, caused by a high carbohydrate, low protein diet, damages the body's internal organs.

"Marasmic's symptoms is that the body becomes thin and dehydrated, while kwashiorkor is shown in swollen body parts such as the feet, stomach and face," said Soekirman, representing LIPI's Forum for Food Studies and Nutrition.

Among cases reported last month was a two-year-old treated at the Dr. Sutomo hospital in Surabaya, East Java.

LIPI cited research conducted over two years by Helen Keller International (HKI) up to June this year, which found significant reoccurrences of certain types of malnutrition in Central Java.

"What is shocking and saddening is the signs of the reemergence of vitamin A deficiency which had been eradicated in 1993," Soekirman said in reading from the forum's statement.

HKI's study in Central Java found night blindness, an indicator of vitamin A deficiency, among children and women; it had increased from zero percent of the population in the province to between 0.5 to 1 percent during the crisis.

"Indonesia was declared free of night blindness in 1994 by the WHO (World Health Organization). So it means that we have to fight this all over again," Soekirman said.

The HKI study also revealed the worst effects of the crisis mainly afflicted infants along the northern part of Central Java, while those in the south were less affected.

"In the north the increase of malnutrition among infants under three was around 8 percent in 1996, and increased ... up to 15 percent in 1998."

Female children were more affected than males, he added, which would lead a greater risk of poor health for their future offspring. The survey also stated that anemia suffered by pregnant women and children under five increased by 30 percent and 60 percent respectively in the past two years.

Soekirman also cited malnutrition cases in West Java recorded at Bogor's research center of the office of the Ministry of Health there. Malnutrition in the province had increased since May to July, rising by 60 percent in the number of cases treated.

"Such cases were found not only in Central, West or East Java, but also in the eastern part of Indonesia."

The figures are probably the tip of the iceberg. "If, for instance, 10 children were admitted to hospital for malnutrition, it's possible that the number of malnourished children were 10 times higher."

Soekirman said HKI studies also revealed that the number of malnourished children in Java was tenfold that of other islands. Last year, Central Java was recorded to have 4.16 million poor people, or 13.91 percent of its population, the highest in the nation.

"We want to alert people and the government as food insecurity and lack of reliable information makes the situation worst," he said.

Minister of Health Farid Anfasa Moeloek announced in September that the government would soon launch a Rp 1.37 trillion supplementary food program for pregnant women and children under five in 140 regencies.

"Therefore, we believe that the government must revitalize the integrated health service post or Posyandu which seems to be declining during this time of crisis," Soekirman said.

"Posyandu could provide accurate data of the women and children's condition and give simple but important solutions for them to survive."

Separately, Australia delivered the first relief shipment to Ujungpandang in South Sulawesi as part of its A$4.1 million emergency medical aid to Indonesia.

"We are concentrating the aid for... Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Southeast and South Sulawesi," said Graham Rady, first secretary of AusAID. (edt)