IDI: High COVID-19 Cases In Children Are Related To Nutritional Adequacy

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) Prof. Dr. dr. Aman Bhakti Pulungan SpA said the high number of COVID-19 cases in children was related to the condition of nutritional intake in children.

"The high number of cases of COVID-19 in children shows that children's nutritional intake needs more attention. This is because adequate nutrition in children will increase the child's body immunity in warding off viruses and bacteria," said Aman, quoted by Antara, Thursday, July 8.

The COVID-19 Handling Task Force noted that around 30 to 50 percent of children under five died from the total child deaths due to COVID-19. Indonesia has the highest number of cases of COVID-19 in children in the world.

This can be seen from the number of deaths of children under five during the pandemic which has increased by almost 50 percent. There are at least 1,000 child deaths in Indonesia every week.

Children with poor nutrition or even stunting tend to be more vulnerable to the threat of COVID-19.

Previously, Member of the DPR Commission IV of the PKB faction Luluk Nur Hamidah also reminded that the government should pay more attention to children from underprivileged families who are at risk of malnutrition.

In terms of social assistance for families with stunted children, Luluk conveyed that it must be different from social assistance for other communities.

"Aid for families with stunting should not be the same as other poor families because their needs are different," Luluk said.

Therefore, the accuracy of the data is very important, so that it can be separated in one village where the social assistance in the form of basic necessities can be separated between families who have stunting and those who do not.

Families who have stunting, which is filled with basic food assistance, can be included in assistance in the form of fish or a type of processed fish. Luluk also asked that sweetened condensed milk should not be given in social assistance because it contains sugar and is not suitable for consumption.

"If Indonesia doesn't want to have problems in the future, our competitiveness is determined by how strong we are to give birth to a healthy generation," Luluk added.

Sweetened condensed milk is still the most commonly given to children and toddlers. Even though BPOM has issued a ban not to give sweetened condensed milk as a milk drink.

However, with the reason that the price is more economical and added as a result of the pandemic, parents are forced to give thick sweets for their children.