Better Nutrition Levels Targeted for 2009
Thursday, 04 January, 2007 | 14:45 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Head of Nutrition Awareness Management Subdivision at the Health Department, Tatang S. Falah, has said it is targeted that in 2009 the levels of insufficient and bad nutrition will have decreased by 20 percent.

Based on National Social Economic Survey 2005 data, 28 percent of total Indonesian children are classified among the levels of insufficient and bad nutrition.

Perhaps these decreases can be achieved because the Health Department continues holding training programs to handle bad nutrition for health officers at the provincial and regency levels, as well as at people's health centers.

The proof of the government's seriousness, said Tatang, can be seen from the Rp700 billion funds provided for the handling of bad nutrition.

“The funds will be used in particular to make more members of the general public aware of nutrition needs and for aid in the form of vitamins for children,” he told Tempo at the Health Department building yesterday (3/1).

In 2006, according to Ina Hernawati, Director of General Public Nutrition Management at the Health Department, the government handled 19,567 cases of bad nutrition.

This was a sharp decrease compared to 2005 when there were reached 76,178 such cases.

“Out of 19,567 cases, 193 children died because aid was too late,” said Ina.

However, according to the National Social Economic Survey 2005 carried out by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), it is estimated that 8.8 percent of the total children in Indonesia suffered from bad nutrition in 2006.

This means it is estimated that around 1.5 million children suffered from bad nutrition.

Ina said that the number of handled cases was based on data collected by the Health Department from all health services in Indonesia.

She acknowledged that the number of cases handled was not equal to the actual number of person suffering from bad nutrition.

According to Ina, the difference between the BPS estimate and the amount of cases handled was because the government's programs to reduce bad nutrition were quite successful.

One of the programs involves the revitalization of people's health centers (posyandu) which measure children's weight and height.

If a child’s measurements are not in line with the Health Department's provisions, s/he must undergo health consultation.

If the second measurement does not show a weight gain, the child in question must be taken to a referred hospital.

“With the posyandu revitalization, cases involving children with insufficient nutrition can be handled quickly so that they do not become bad nutrition case,” said Ina.

PRAMONO