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Malnutrition among children worsens

19th March 2001, Bangkok Post, Anjira Assavanonda

The Foundation for Child Development yesterday launched its "No Child Neglect" campaign to increase social awareness of issues regarding children's welfare.

Thammasat University's Chaiwat Satha-anan said he was concerned neglect of children in Thailand has caused their status to change from "children who were once victims" to "children who have now become both victims and abusers".

Pawana Chaisa-nguan, who is responsible for the foundation's Project for Starving Children, said many children were still malnourished, particularly in the North and Northeast, despite the government's campaign to eliminate malnutrition.

The problem seems to have worsened from 1997, due to the economic crisis.

In 16 villages of Si Sa Ket province last year, 104 children aged 1-3 were found suffering from malnutrition, nine of whom had severe symptoms and were at risk of dying.

A report also showed that the number of underweight school children increased from 8% in 1996 to 10% in 1997.

Besides, the government's anti-malnutrition campaign has made concerned state agencies uneasy and reluctant to release new facts and figures, Ms Pawana said.

"In this manner, certain groups of children are left out from the data system. Without data, budget allocation for this purpose is reduced, resulting in many children missing their chance for physical development," she said.

Chantana Banpasirichote, a foundation academic, said child malnutrition was not caused by poverty alone, but also negligence by their families.

"These children are left to fend for themselves, with nobody teaching them how to live a better life," she said.

Regarding child labour, Kemporn Virunraphan, also from the foundation, said despite the amended Labour Act which has raised the minimum age for child workers from 13 to 15 years, the foundation last year rescued 400 underage children from the labour market.

"The child labour problem is getting more complicated. In the past, we only heard about low wages and abuse by employers. But today, children themselves are having behavioural problems, involving premature sex, drugs and aggressiveness," Ms Kemporn said.

In one province, a gang of three to four girls was trying to better each other's record of having had the most sex with males.

"This happens because adults neglect the children; when children have problems, they are punished and then deserted even more," Ms Chantana said.

Mr Chaiwat, meanwhile, noted social attitudes towards children were changing.

"When we find any troubled kids, like those in the case of disgraced senator Chalerm Promlert, people are looking at them differently. Society has started to see children as a menace, instead of victims," he said.

For the well-being of children, the foundation has called for co-operation at three levels: families, schools and government agencies, to face the facts and take proper action quickly.