Unfortunate children to spend their day with Soeharto

Unfortunate children to spend their day with Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto will spend the day with some
400 underprivileged children from all over Indonesia at the
Presidential Palace on July 23, National Children's Day.

Among those invited for a rare visit to the palace are
physically handicapped children, Minister of Health Sujudi
announced yesterday.

The Ministry of Health has been appointed to organize this
year's National Children Day and has picked as its theme "I'm a
Healthy and Happy Indonesian Child."

On that day, President Soeharto will also receive the Helen
Keller Award. This is just another form of international
recognition for his development efforts, this time for his
success in reducing vitamin A deficiency among children. This
deficiency is the prime cause of blindness.

Soeharto is also slated to hold a dialog with the children.

Sujudi said the theme of this year's National Children Day was
picked to reflect the government's efforts to turn children into
productive human resources, and this is only possible if they
were healthy and happy.

"Children have the right to live and the obligation to be
qualified Indonesian people," he said. He added that parents were
also responsible for forming them into good citizens.

He listed some of the government's programs carried out to
care for the welfare of children.

On vaccinations, the government is within 80 percent of its
target. On vitamin A deficiencies, the rate has been slashed from
1.9 percent of all children in 1979 to only 0.33 percent in 1994,
below the maximum limit set by World Health Organization.

There will be similar activities to entertain and treat the
children in the region, by the governors, regents and mayors on
Children Day.

In Jakarta, for example, the municipality plans to give away
some 1,250 pairs of eyeglasses to needy children. It will also
offer free harelip operations. (05)