Malnutrition in RI may devastate a generation

Malnutrition in RI may devastate a generation

JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef)
reiterated its warning on Tuesday of the danger of a mentally
deficient generation caused by malnutrition currently affecting
infants and pregnant women as a result of the unabated economic
crisis.

"For every child that dies due to severe malnutrition, there
are nine who die due to the mild or moderate 'unseen' forms,"
Stephen J. Woodhouse, Unicef area representative for Indonesia
and Malaysia, said. He said eight million pre-school age children
here were malnourished and 12 million were suffering from vitamin
A, iron and protein deficiencies before the crisis. He added
current figures could be more than this.

These and other vitamins and minerals are essential for
children to resist infection and develop healthy bodies and
normal intelligence.

"Malnutrition in the first two years of life is devastating
because 90 percent of brain cells develop during the period,"
Woodhouse said.

"Without adequate nutrition, IQ will not develop normally,
concentration ability in school suffers, (the likelihood of)
illness and death increase... The nation as a whole cannot
afford this massive loss of human potential which, among other
things, will condemn Indonesia to lower economic growth and
competitiveness in the global economy."

He cited the Ministry of Health which has reported at least
610 deaths due to marasmus and kwashiorkor in recent months, and
170,000 of the total 300,000 pre-school children died each year
from malnutrition. He did not mention the time period.

A recent survey conducted by the country branch of the Hellen
Keller International organization in Java showed that up to 5.5
million women on the densely populated island suffer from
undernourishment. The figures from Central Java showed that women
lost an average of one kilogram of weight from 1997 to 1998.

The study also revealed that the number of women suffering
from myopia caused by an insufficient intake of vitamin A doubled
from approximately 75,000 to 150,000. In Jakarta the percentage
of women suffering from vitamin A deficiencies is twice as high
as in rural Bangladesh.

Woodhouse said the greatest effect of the crisis is the drop
in real incomes, which forces families to cut their spending on
animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and milk.

Surprisingly, the sharp decrease in the consumption of
necessary nutritious food was not matched by a drop in spending
on cigarettes.

"Based on the study, poor people, especially men, spend more
to buy cigarettes rather than eggs for their families," Woodhouse
said, adding that this unnecessary spending made the situation
worse for women and children.

In response to the worsening nutritional intake of
Indonesians, Unicef plans to distribute nine million packages of
food supplements through 11,000 integrated health service posts,
in 2,500 villages in 325 regencies here, hoping to benefit
375,000 children.

"Each package is actually worth Rp 4,000, but we sell them for
Rp 500 each, because we want the parents to be responsible for
their children... we're not giving it for free," Woodhouse
added.

Meanwhile in Padang, West Sumatra, at least 18 children aged
under five have died so far due to severe malnutrition, and 110
others are receiving intensive medical treatment.

"We estimate at least 1,700 children under five are
undernourished and could suffer from marasmus any time," Rasyidah
Rasyid, head of the West Sumatra health office, told The Jakarta
Post.

Rasyidah also complained about obstacles to distributing the
extra food to babies and pregnant women in the area, where each
person was to receive an allowance of Rp 750 per day.

"Not all of the needy people receive the allowance, because of
certain parties who manipulate the data from the field," Rasyidah
said, adding that poor families here were eating only rice
porridge.

In Semarang, Central Java, the Ministry of Health data from
last October to February listed 61 children aged under five
suffering from malnutrition, some of them were being treated in
hospitals. The children were found in 18 regencies in Central
Java, office chief Soejono Hardjosoedarmo said.

Antara reported Tuesday that State Minister of Population and
head of the National Family Planning Coordinating Board Ida Bagus
Oka has ordered all trainers at health community centers to be
active in helping mothers and undernourished children.
(edt/har/28)