More children die from malnutrition in NTT

KUPANG: Seven more children have reportedly died from malnutrition over the past two months in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), bringing the total number of child deaths from the same cause to 13 in the past eight months.

With limited funding, thousands of children in the province are suffering from malnutrition and have been deprived of adequate medical care.

Isbandria, nutritionist at the rehabilitation division of the local health agency, said almost 5,300 children under five years old, of a total 404,900 in the province, were suffering from malnutrition.

"Most are in South Timor Tengah, where there are up to 1000 malnourished children, and around 8,300 children are suffering from poor nutrition," Isbandria said on Friday.

The central government had stopped providing food supplements for children in the province since 2007, he said. The provincial administration had requested Rp 57 billion from the Office of the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare, in 2008, but received no response, which further impacted thousands of malnourished children.

The provincial administration set aside Rp 2 billion in 2008, comprising Rp 1.5 billion for nutrition intervention for malnourished children, especially those below five years of age, and Rp 500 million for expecting mothers. - JP