Address malnutrition in PNG

ADDRESSING other health issues in the country should continue.
For now, all the effort and attention has turned to coronavirus, but we should not forget that the malnutrition situation in the country should be addressed through comprehensive management system as it is serious and a life threatening condition with terrible consequences.
It is no secret that malnutrition is a health emergency in Papua New Guinea and the underlying cause for the majority of deaths of children under the age of five.
This situation not only limits children’s growth outcomes but also their future learning and income earning potential which further perpetuates the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition and poverty.
A child’s physical growth and mental development can become permanently compromised and in severe cases, the child can die if malnutrition if not treated.
Nationwide, 44 per cent of children under 5 years of age are classified as stunted, which limits not only the child’s growth outcomes but also their future learning and income earning potential, and perpetuates the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition and poverty.
The problem of malnutrition continues to be a significant impediment in the health, social and economic development of PNG.
Malnutrition occurs when poor consumption of nutritious food threatens the healthy functioning of the body and its organs.
Symptoms include underweight, physical stunting, muscle wasting, weak ability to mentally concentrate and increased vulnerability in children to illnesses, such as pneumonia and diarrhea.
The last National Nutrition Policy (NNP) was released in 1995 and despite engaging partners from various sectors, it was a struggle to realise significant improvement in the health and nutrition of the PNG population.
In 2011 the Government released the Vision 2050 which is the roadmap for PNG to reach the goal of becoming a smart, fair, wise, healthy and happy nation.
For our nation to achieve this vision, addressing the nutrition challenges that face our country will be critical
And it will need the political commitment from the Government to drive it.
A well planned and well executed long term project can accelerate the developmental process and the benefits can be rewarding and permanent.
Nutritional planning involves formulation of a nutrition policy and overall long term planning to improve production and supplies of food, ensure its equitable distribution and programmers to increase the purchasing power of people.
This should also lead to the need for an improved health care system.
A good health care system that provides immunisation, oral rehydration, periodic deworming, early diagnosis and proper treatment of common illnesses can go a long way in preventing malnutrition in the society.
Prevention of malnutrition at the community level is the best way to avoid children dying from malnutrition.
People need to be educated on the nutritional quality of common foods, importance and nutritional quality of various locally available and culturally accepted low cost foods, importance of exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continuing to breast feed up to two years or beyond and importance of immunising their children and following proper sanitation in their day to day life.
Malnutrition cannot be addressed by just the health sector but it is an obligation for all concerned sectors to allocate resources to their respective nutrition sector interventions.
We can start by empowering mothers with the information they need to make good nutritional decisions and access vital supplements.
Many people are not aware of the benefits of a balanced diet as a result of which they are malnourished.
We need to keep raising awareness among the people about the benefits of nutritious food.