South Sulawesi babies suffer malnutrition
South Sulawesi babies suffer malnutrition
PANGKEP, South Sulawesi (JP): Hundreds of children under the
age of five in four subdistricts here are undernourished, with 23
of them suffering from acute malnutrition. At least two of the
children have died of hunger-related diseases while four others
are in critical condition.
More than 300 of a total of 2,600 infants and children here
are suffering from various illnesses caused by poor nutrition.
The areas affected are the Bungoro, Tapakbiring, Pangkajene and
Labbakang subdistricts.
Seventeen-month-old Akbar and three-and-half-year-old Aco
recently died in Salemo Island, 60 kilometers off the provincial
capital of Ujungpandang. Four babies in Barang Lompo, Tupabiring
subdistrict are in critical condition.
Amirullah Rasyid, the father of a child suffering from
kwashiorkor marasmus -- severe malnutrition caused by a diet high
in carbohydrates and low in protein -- in Barang Lompo, told The
Jakarta Post that he and his wife learned about their son's
illness after taking him to a nearby public health center.
"We did not realize that our son was suffering from a serious
disease," he said, adding their son would only eat if he was
forced.
The chief of the local office of the health ministry, Muhammad
Noor, blamed the prevalent malnutrition among infants and
children on the prolonged economic crisis in the regency.
Reports of malnutrition throughout the country have steadily
increased since the onset of the economic crisis in mid-1997. It
was reported from Semarang, Central Java, two weeks ago that at
least 36 children under five years of age in the province had
died of malnutrition since September last year.
A further 1,900 others were being treated at local hospitals
for malnutrition. In addition, case of malnutrition were found in
all 35 regencies and mayoralties of the province.
In Grobogan village, some 45 kilometers east of Semarang,
seven infants have died of kwashiorkor marasmus since January.
Immediate medical assistance would have improved the
children's chances of survival, but in many cases parents failed
to bring their children to the hospital because of financial
difficulties. (27/rms)