JAYAPURA - The Papua Provincial Government ensures that the handling of malnutrition in Cenderawasih Earth has run as it should, but there are several obstacles in handling malnutrition in Papua, including the low public awareness of the fulfillment of family nutrition.
According to the Governor's Expert Staff, Elsye Rumbekwan, this is the cause of the problem of the availability of nutritional intake in the family, even though the availability of nutritional potential is still very much.
"So it is hoped that through meetings with related parties, it can encourage increased public awareness, understanding the causes and risk factors of malnourished children," explained Elsye at the High-Level Meeting of Regional Heads held by the Papua Provincial Government with UNICEF in Jayapura City, Wednesday (30/11/2022).
Elsye continued, the Papua Provincial Government has made various efforts in dealing with malnutrition. Only all those efforts were felt to have not been very optimal.
"For this reason, we also encourage the cross-sector to contribute to the prevention and handling of malnourished children to overcome the challenges of accelerating development in Papua," he said.
Head of UNICEF's Papua and West Papua Office, Aminuddin Ramdan, emphasized that children should receive attention amid the major changes facing Papua.
"Currently, there are many changes both in terms of structure, regulation, authority and others post-DOB. But usually the group of children is less attentive in the midst of this change," he said.
He also assessed that there are still many wasting children in Papua who have not been detected and handled, even though the achievement of Papuan wasting is already at 8.8 percent.
"Children can't speak out on their own, they depend on their environment, parents and families to voice that they need attention," she said.
Therefore, Ramdan hopes that handling wasting problems in Papua requires cross-sectorial contributions and involvement.
"We must ensure that children are detected, treated both in terms of malnutrition and comorbidities and provide understanding to the environment and others," he said. ***