Malnutrition hits Kewapante parish

Malnutrition hits Kewapante parish

KEWAPANTE, East Nusa Tenggara: At least 400 students at
Catholic elementary schools and junior high schools owned by the
Renha Rosari Foundation at Kewapante Parish suffer from
malnutrition.

The parish's head Priest Claus S.V.D. told The Jakarta Post on
Saturday that the alarming facts were revealed during a medical
check-up for children in Kewapante subdistrict during the last
three months.

"Therefore, in order to improve their nutrition, we're giving
them milk for their school breaks and food for their lunch," he
said.

Meanwhile, head of the health agency in Sikka regent Ignatius
Henyo Kerong said that maternal deaths in the area were also
relatively high.

In the period 1999-2000, there were over 700 mothers who died
while giving birth. Infant mortality was around 58 babies out of
a total of 779 babies born.(yac)