Malnutrition among children hits alarming level

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Shocking government statistics show that more than 25 percent of Indonesia's 18 million under five-year-old children are suffering from malnutrition.

And experts are warning the "alarming" figure is worsening due to the government's lack of will to deal with the problem.

Ministry of Health data shows that 4.5 million toddlers suffered from malnutrition in 2000, with the picture now even more bleak.

Community Nutrition Director Rachmi Untoro blamed the economic crisis, which has plagued the country since 1997, as the main factor, as increasing poverty meant children starved.

"The number has reached an alarming level ... 25 percent of children are malnourished in Indonesia," Rachmi said, adding the figure should be no more than 5 percent.

Speaking at a seminar on child growth and poverty, Rachmi said the government was considering reviving abandoned integrated health service posts (Posyandu) throughout the country to help poor families feed their toddlers.

Rachmi said that after the crisis, around half the 240,000 Posyandu in the country closed as the volunteer staff were forced to ensure their own survival.

Many poor families in both rural and urban areas relied much on government assistance through the Posyandu to monitor the health of their children.

Rachmi said the government could provide regular allowances to people managing Posyandu so the posts could continue to serve poor families.

Assistance from international organizations was also needed, Rachmi said.

Cospeaker Steve Allen, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) representative in Indonesia, said it was ready to help the government address the malnutrition problem.

Unicef provided US$1 million per year to Indonesia to nurture children's development, including combating malnutrition, he said.

"Malnutrition is a leading cause of poor human resources development and consequently greatly contributes to persistent poverty," he said.