Rp 30.6b allotted to curb malnutrition

Rp 30.6b allotted to curb malnutrition

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Chief welfare minister Alwi Shihab announced here on Thursday Rp 30.6 billion (US$3.22 million) has been allocated to fight malnutrition in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province.

The allocation was agreed on during a meeting earlier in the day, which was led by Alwi and attended by Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah and West Nusa Tenggara Governor Lalu Serinata, as well as mayors and regents from the province.

Alwi said the money would come from the provincial budget (Rp 8 billion), municipality and regency budgets (Rp 15 billion) and the state budget (Rp 2.8 billion).

To deal with malnutrition in the short term, local governments will provide children with food supplements, revive integrated health service posts and pay honorariums to volunteers at the posts.

As part of the long-term fight against malnutrition, the West Nusa Tenggara administration will provide start-up capital to poor families to open small businesses, as well as providing them with business guidance.

"Thirty percent of the residents of NTB have been classified as poor, or more than 1 million of the 4.1 million residents. If this problem is not solved immediately, malnutrition will continue to be seen here," Alwi said. --Antara