September 05, 2007
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is supporting efforts by Indonesia to reduce malnutrition among poor children and pregnant women to put the country on track to achieving the United Nations'Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), said ADB in a news release Wednesday.
Improved nutrition status of women and children will directly affect the achievement of MDGs related to poverty and hunger, primary education, child mortality, maternal health, and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, said ADB.
ADB will provide a 50 million U.S. dollar loan to help finance the Nutrition Improvement through Community Empowerment Project, which is estimated to cost 71.4 million U.S. dollars.
The balance will be covered by the Indonesian government. A technical assistance of 500,000 U.S. dollars will strengthen evidence-based planning and budgeting for nutrition programs at national and local levels.
"It has long been known that malnutrition undermines economic growth and perpetuates poverty. Therefore, the project will support government efforts to reduce and prevent malnutrition in about 1.48 million children under five years and 500,000 pregnant women in about 4,000 poor rural and urban areas," said Barbara Lochmann, Social Sector Specialist of ADB's Southeast Asia Department.
"There is clear evidence that the major damage caused by malnutrition takes place in the womb and during the first two years of life; this damage is irreversible," she said.
She said malnutrition causes lower intelligence and reduced physical capacity, resulting in lower productivity.
In addition, urbanization exacerbates the transition to sedentary lifestyles and high-fat diets, especially among the urban poor, she added.
The project will focus on institutional development for nutrition policies, programs and surveillance; improving facility and community nutrition services; strengthening community capacity to carry out nutrition, hygiene and sanitation interventions; promoting food fortification, advocacy for decision-makers and communication; and providing project management support.
Source: Xinhua
