Malnutrition affects thousands in Cirebon

CIREBON, West Java: Some 4,000 children in Cirebon regency are suffering from malnutrition, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Poverty has left many parents unable to provide their children with nutritious food, leading to rampant malnutrition, said Retina Sri Sedjati, the chief of the Cirebon Health Agency.

In addition to poverty, a lack of knowledge about the importance of providing nutritious food to children is also to be blamed for malnutrition in the regency, the health agency head said.

Of the 2.35 million residents in Cirebon regency, some 25 percent, or 580,000, are officially classified as poor, said Retina. There are 236,000 children below the age of five in Cirebon.

The government is encouraging Cirebon residents to take their children in for medical checkups at hospitals, community health centers and integrated health service posts in the regency. The medical checkups are free of charge, said Retina. The government has earmarked Rp 1.1 billion (US$117,021) for the program. -- JP