Most IPB students suffer from anemia

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

About 57 percent of the Bogor Institute of Agriculture's (IPB) new students suffer from anemia, its rector said on Monday.

The rector, Aman Wirakartakusuma, told the press that the anemia cases were found after conducting blood tests for its 2,900 new students.

"The students are actually categorized as elite people but still they suffer from the condition. You can imagine how serious this is for poor people," he said.

Initially, the blood tests were conducted in order to ascertain their health condition and to screen for drug abuse. None were found to test positive for drugs. But 57 percent were found to be suffering from anemia.

Anemia, he said, would affect their learning capability, creativity and stamina. As the condition is usually chronic, the students' nutrition must have been poor at least during the last five years.

"As we are currently still experiencing financial crisis, many young people were unable to maintain proper nutrition. We can imagine the ramifications for our next generation," he said.

He cited an example of Kerawang village where agriculture minister Bungaran Saragih visited recently. "I was very surprised to see children there seriously fight for boiled corn and sweet potatoes. The looked very hungry. This reflects the real condition of our people: that providing such cheap food is not easy for them," he said.

He said that he believed that the IPB blood test results are just the tip of the iceberg in Indonesian society.

He expected that the blood test results would encourage the government to immediately take all necessary steps to tackle the problem.