Malnutrition claims 5 lives in NTT

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KUPANG: Five children have died from malnutrition in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) while more than 34,000 others have received medical and food aid from public health centers in all 21 regencies and municipalities in the province, according to an official report.

The provincial health office revealed on Wednesday that it had received reports of more than 34,200 children in the province suffering from malnutrition in the past two months.

“The data on malnutrition and starvation is based on reports from public health centers,” head of the nutrition section at the provincial health office Isbandrio said, adding that 20 children under the age of 5 were undergoing intensive treatment for malnutrition at the WZ Yohanes General Hospital.

He said the fatalities, which were due to complications, occurred in Rote Ndao, North Timor Tengah and Ende regencies. “Many malnutrition cases in children lead to fatal diseases, mainly because their parents take them to the hospital or public health center too late.”

He added that by promoting better eating habits, there could be a reduction in fatalities, which stood at 32 in 2008, 14 in 2009, 12 in 2010 and 11 in 2011.

Isbandrio said that the provincial government had also instructed state-run hospitals and public health centers to continue promoting the consumption of protein and fruit for mothers and children to fight malnutrition.