Menu ENN Search

Formula milk 'dangerous' as humanitarian aid, Indonesia, news article

Author: Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Year: 2008
Resource type: News

www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/07/07/formula-milk-039dangerous039-humanitarian-aid.html

Formula milk 'dangerous' as humanitarian aid

*Prodita Sabarini*, The Jakarta Post,  Mon, 07/07/2008 10:31 AM 

UNICEF has renewed calls for donors to refrain from sending formula milk as humanitarian assistance to victims of disasters, saying it could cause even more deaths.

A UNICEF study found rates of diarrhea in Yogyakarta in the aftermath of the 2006 earthquake increased sixfold as the consumption of formula doubled.

Anne H. Vincent, head of UNICEF Indonesia's health and nutrition department, said there was a strong correlation between formula consumption and deaths due to diarrhea in the province during this period.

She said the increase in diarrhea cases was caused by unmonitored donations of infant formula to the disaster-stricken area, coupled with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water.

About 80 percent of children less than two-years-old who were affected by the earthquake received infant formula, which was handed out in clear plastic bags with no instructions on how to prepare it.

"Very often the first aid you see arriving locally is formula. These donations are often uncontrolled," Vincent said.

"It's not that people have negative intentions. What they don't know is in disasters such as tsunami, cyclones and earthquakes, affected families are already poor and often there's poor sanitation and so on."

Almost 6,000 people were killed in the earthquake, which destroyed 300,000 houses in Yogyakarta and Central Java, causing some 1.5 million people to be displaced. Bantul and Klaten regencies were the worst-affected areas.

"There's no clean water, no sanitation and so forth. Therefore bringing formula in increases and multiplies the rate of diarrhea and the risk of death for young babies," she said.

"Donations of powdered milk in an emergency situation can literally increase the rate of death of young babies, while the people mean to do good."

To make matters worse, she said, the donations encouraged mothers to stop breast-feeding their children and instead feed them infant formula.

The study found 42.6 percent of infants under five-months-old were fed infant formula after the quake -- a sharp increase from the pre-quake figure of 27.8 percent.

"We know breast-feeding is very important for children's health," Vincent said.

A UNICEF study conducted in 42 countries showed exclusive breast-feeding, with no additional food or liquid, proved to have the highest impact (13 percent) on saving the lives of infants, compared to all other interventions.

"People need to be informed this kind of donation is very dangerous," she said.

Located in the ring of fire, an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean, Indonesia is prone to natural disasters. In addition, floods and disasters resulting from environmental degradation have struck many areas across the country.

More than 150,000 people were killed by the 2004 tsunami in Aceh and Nias Island, hundreds were killed in a 2005 earthquake on Nias and a tsunami in Pangandaran in 2006 killed more than 200 people.

More like this

Resource: UNICEF urges end to instant milk donations for disaster-hit areas, Indonesia

UNICEF urges end to instant milk donations for disaster-hit areas Available from:...

Resource: Wet Nursing - Rescue efforts of a hero

Two media stories of same woman: www.int.iol.co.za:80/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=nw20080518144535630C499002 Rescue efforts of a hero... May 18 2008 at...

FEX: Increased diarrhoea following infant formula distribution in 2006 earthquake response in Indonesia: evidence and actions

By Fitsum Assefa, Sri Sukotjo (Ninik), Anna Winoto and David Hipgrave Fitsum Assefa is a nutritionist with over 15 years experience working on public nutrition in various...

Resource: Infant feeding in Emergency Situations. A report from the national convention of BPNI, 2005

India, on 9-10 Nov 2005 held by BPNI supported by govt of India & UNICEF. Pub'd 2006 BPNI = Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India. A really good report that contains...

Resource: Milk powder and diapers greatly needed in quake-hit areas, China, News article

Milk powder & diapers greatly needed in quake-hit areas *By* Pang Li (China.org.cn May 19, 2008) "Presently milk powder is not available here and the relief food is not...

FEX: Infant Feeding in Emergencies: Experiences from Indonesia and Lebanon

By Ali Maclaine and Mary Corbett Ali Maclaine has a MSc in Human Nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She has been involved in infant feeding and...

Resource: Helping moms, babies when disaster strikes, news article relating to Hurricane Katrina

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.mothers14may14,0,3362192.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines From the Baltimore Sun Helping moms, babies when disaster strikes By...

FEX: Contributing to the Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E) response in the Philippines: a local NGO perspective

By Romelei Camiling-Alfonso, Donna Isabel S. Capili, Katherine Ann V. Reyes, A.M. Francesca Tatad and Maria Asuncion Silvestre Romelei Camiling-Alfonso has worked for the...

en-net: Nestle Boycott - is it working?

The boycott is one of the largest boycotts in the commercial history. I am aware of the historical background and the various efforts. To me, the various efforts to sustain the...

FEX: Infant feeding in the South Asia earthquake aftermath

By Maaike Arts Maaike Arts was seconded to UNICEF Pakistan in November 2005, until January 2006. Formerly she was Project Officer in Nutrition/Early Childhood Care with UNICEF...

Resource: Hong Kong earthquake aid tied up in red tape, news article

www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/220791,hong-kong-earthquake-aid-tied-up-in-red-tape.html Posted Wed 23 July 2008 Hong Kong - Relief supplies intended for the victims of...

FEX: Muslim Aid

Name Muslim Aid Director(s) Saif Ahmad CEO Address PO Box 3, London E1 1WP Year formed 1985 Telephone +44(0)20 7377 4200 Main office UK Fax +44(0)20 7377 4201 Overseas...

FEX: Issue 34 Editorial

Issue 34 of Field Exchange has a special focus on infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IFE) and is dedicated to the memory of Tom Marchione. Leading the IFE 'show'...

Resource: Feeding of infants and young children in tsunami affected villages in Pondicherry [India]

Feeding of infants and young children in tsunami affected villages in Pondicherry [India]. Adhisivam B, Srinivasan S, Soudarssanane MB, Deepa. Indian Pediatr. 2006...

FEX: The Haiti Earthquake - Country and Global level Cluster Coordination Experiences and Lessons Learnt

By Carmel Dolan and Mija Ververs Carmel Dolan was Global Nutrition Cluster Coordinator-Consultant at the time of the earthquake and located from the UK to UNICEF Headquarters...

Resource: Group Urges Disaster Planning for Pregnant Women, Babies, News article

Group Urges Disaster Planning for Pregnant Women, Babies By Rama Lakshmi Special to The Washington Post Thursday, August 17, 2006; Page A09 In the days after Hurricane...

FEX: Letter on relevance of IFE guidelines in developed countries, by Sarah Saunby

Recently, ENN was party to an exchange of questions and discussion between field staff and 'experts' relating to decisions on the use of readymade therapeutic products versus...

FEX: Philippine Nutrition Cluster’s battle for the best: the breast

By Ms. Florinda Panlilio, Department of Health, Philippines Ms. Florinda Panlilio is a Nutritionist-Dietitian IV in the Department of Health -Health Emergency Management...

Resource: During disasters, breastfeeding's advantages shine, News article

By Heather K. Brosi, Special to the St Petersburgh Times In print: Monday, June 16, 2008 Available from: www.tampabay.com/news/health/article626768.ece As we enter another...

FEX: Infant feeding in tsunami affected villages in India

Summary of published research1 A recently published descriptive study highlights the problems related to feeding of infants and young children in crisis situations. The...

Close

Reference this page

Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta (2008). Formula milk 'dangerous' as humanitarian aid, Indonesia, news article. www.ennonline.net/formulamilkhumanitarianaid

(ENN_631)

Close

Download to a citation manager

The below files can be imported into your preferred reference management tool, most tools will allow you to manually import the RIS file. Endnote may required a specific filter file to be used.