Mothers Against Malnutrition
Most people associate malnutrition in this country with food shortage. In reported cases of malnutrition-related deaths, the government’s first reaction is usually to provide supplementary food. But in reality, malnutrition is much more complex. The lack of ‘caring practices,’ is more often the main cause. Belu, a district in East Nusa Tenggara, with some of the worst malnutrition rates in Indonesia, has its own story to tell.
December 22, 2009
DOMINGUS Pareira de Oliviera, 24, wearing a black shirt and a cap, sits casually in a building adjoining the Manteleten village office. The father of three told Tempo that his second child suffered from malnutrition one month after birth. For several months, the child indicated very little weight gain whenever he was brought to the nearest posyandu or village health post. The child’s normal growth rate and health was restored after being fed wi
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