Maternal health care

Maternal health care

We would like to make some corrections in your article Unicef
aid for health program published on Aug. 10, 1999. It is true
that the United Nations Children's fund (Unicef) in Central Java
is supporting a maternal health care program, but in
approximately 3,000 villages in Rembang, Pati, Megelang,
Wonosobo, Banjarnegara, Banyumas, Cilacap, Pemalang, Karanganyar
and Brebes districts, and not in "10 small towns" as you mention.

This maternal health care scheme (called TABULIN, an acronym
of Tabungan Ibu Bersalin is a comprehensive community-based
program that was initiated in February 1998, where all pregnant
women and would-be mothers who want to join pay a nominal fee
(which stays in the community) to obtain the minimum maternal
health care services necessary to deliver safely.

In some districts, the TABULIN scheme is merged with a
Complementary Feeding Initiative, where nutrient-rich
complementary feeding is distributed to six-month-old to
12-month-old babies through the village-based community-run
health posts to build upon community efforts of mutual support,
and in an effort to improve the nutrition and health status of
mothers and children.

Though Central Java's maternal death rate is not the highest
in the country as stated, the total number of deaths is highly
significant due to a high population density in Central Java.

With regards to your statement that "a total of 500 mothers
and babies will have prenatal health checks in every town",
actually, we expect a total of 500,000 TABULIN members and 35,000
infants to receive complementary feeding by the end of 1999.

MAHOKO KAMATSUCHI

and WIDODO SUHARTOYO

Unicef Semarang