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By ALISON ANIS
MOMASE is the only region in the country that has a high prevalence of
nutritional or infectious diseases recorded against majority of its
children, women and male population.
Preliminary findings from a survey conducted two years ago by experts
from the Atlanta-based Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recorded an
anemia was affecting majority of women and children in the region and
that under-nutrition was severe in the area.
Children from six to 59 months were seriously under nourished while
suffering from stunting and wasting (slow growth among children).
These were identified as major problems in the area.
The reports showed that the occurrences were reported more in the rural
areas than in urban areas.
The survey was conducted in all four regions including the Highlands,
Southern and the islands.
“It further revealed that most of the cases of anemia found in children
were passed on from mother to child that is why most children developed
anemia faster at a younger age than expected,” Kathy Tripp from the CDC
said.
Ms Tripp, who presented the report yesterday, revealed that stunting
(short stature) and wasting (slow growth) were very common among
children from the rural areas
with a high prevalence recorded in the Momase region.
“PNG is on the brink of facing a real malnutrition problem in the future
with extremely low percentage of children also having access to vitamin
A,” she said.
Quoting from the report, Ms Tripp said the survey conducted revealed
that 0.7% of the children had accessed to vitamin A and that according
to her was “extremely low”.
The study also revealed that there was very low prevalence on hookworms
among children while there was a much higher prevalence of malaria than
when first recorded.
The survey was done among a random population by region, using national
census to develop a sampling from total cluster of 16 households.
 
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