Malnutrition dashes hopes for next generation

By M. Achadi and Tjahjono Ep.

YOGYAKARTA (JP): After carrying her baby for nine months, every mother wishes for a healthy and intelligent child. But in the middle of the country's economic crisis, these wishes are hard to make come true.

Yogyakarta, which over the last few years has been known for its healthy infants, has not been spared from the nutritional tragedy.

At the age of four years, Sriani, the third child of Sarini, weighs only 10 kilograms.

With her family, she lives in a shack in Dlingo, Panggang III in Gunung Kidul. For daily meals, her family mostly relies on her mother's family because her father suffers from mental problems.

"It's already difficult to provide food each day... not to mention nutritional needs. And, my husband can't work at all," sighed Sarini.

In Sleman, the situation is not bright either.

One-year-old M. Chirzin is another bad case. Weighing only 3.5 kilograms, he is living with his disabled parents, who are both deaf and mute, in Nogotirto, Gampin.

Soleh Agus, the fifth and youngest child of a farm worker, weighed 7.5 kilograms when he was 1.5 years old. The family lives in a small shack in Jati Sawit village in Gamping, Sleman.

"The situation now is really difficult... even just to eat," said Soleh's father, Suhono.

In Kokap, Kulonprogo, two infants from poor families have died of malnutrition. One of them died after being diagnosed with an intestinal abnormality. Another infant from the same area is now in a critical condition, suffering from brain damage.

An official in Gunung Kidul, who declined to be identified, revealed that there was a severely malnourished infant from Rongkop district in Gunung Kidul who has had to be treated in hospital. But although the family did not have to pay for the hospital's expenses -- provided through the social safety net fund -- the family took the baby home because they could not afford the transportation and other expenses while waiting for the baby to get well.

"Up to now, the condition of the baby is not known," the official said.

Through the distribution of national and international aid, a great number of babies suffering from malnutrition were helped. But so far only babies listed at the health service posts (posyandu) have been included in the nutrition improvement program.

In reality, there are still many babies in need who are not participants in the program.

"Data about malnourished babies do not reflect the reality. It's like the tip of the iceberg, only the top can be seen but in the lower part, there are still plenty of them," said Tjiptaningsih Oetarijo, chairwoman of Yogyakarta's social activities coordination body.

There are several factors contributing to the malnutrition problems found among infants in Yogyakarta, such as the lack of awareness of mothers of the need to take their children to health service posts, inadequate knowledge of the need to maintain family nutrition, economic problems and cultural problems.

"Usually, mothers prioritize food for their husbands and other children, although breast-feeding mothers badly need good nutrition for their babies. This misunderstanding can still be found," she said.

Malnourished babies can be found in almost every area in Yogyakarta.

According to the latest data gathered from village-level health service posts in some community health centers, there were 96 malnourished infants found in Bantul regency, 15 cases in Bantul mayoralty, 38 cases in Kulonprogo, 44 cases in Sleman and 35 cases in Gunung Kidul.

Surprisingly, it was not only infants from poor families who suffered from malnutrition, but also those from more well off families.

About 25 percent of infants taking part in the nutrition improvement program came from good economic backgrounds.

"There is even one mother, who, when bringing her critical condition (malnourished) baby, still wears a gold bracelet and other expensive jewelry. And there is a teacher's baby, who suffers from malnutrition although they have good housing," Tjiptaningsih said.

In an effort to solve the malnutrition problem, Yogyakarta's Ministry of Health office worked together with the cooperation body by distributing sembako to families in need.

In the initial stage, in April this year, the program helped 107 infants by providing packages comprising instant noodles, 15 bottles of soybean ketchup and 60 kilograms of rice.

But due to the limitations of the ministry's budget, the coordination body continued the program with its recommendation.

The body, chaired by G.K.R. Hemas, the wife of Yogyakarta's sultan, received Rp 60 million in funds from the Aid Fund Foundation (YDS) and another Rp 30 million from the National Council of Social Welfare.

The aid was then distributed during a six-month term to about 120 malnourished infants in Yogyakarta. Each received a package of 60 kilograms of rice, a bottle of soybean ketchup, 2.5 kilograms of mung beans, a kilogram of salted fish and two liters of cooking oil.

Unfortunately, not all the families used the aid for their own good.

According to Djoko, one of the coordination body's field workers, some of the families even sold the aid packages. The program also caused envy in families who did not receive the aid, either because they did not have infants or because they had not joined the program.