In the Agats community in Asmat District, South Papua Province, Herlina Kamepict is a figure of hope to overcome malnutrition. Growing up in Agats, Herlina saw first-hand the various health and nutrition issues, which prompted her to pursue an education in nutrition. She now works at a community health center, and calls her commitment to helping the children in her community “God’s calling”.
South Papua has a high wasting rate of 13.8% and stunting rate of 25% in children under the age of five, according to the Indonesia Health Survey 2023. Asmat is one of the regions in Indonesia most severely affected by malnutrition, with high wasting outbreaks in 2015 and 2018.
Lack of awareness about nutritious diets and poor parenting practices contribute to widespread malnutrition. “We have a lot of fish, but people sell it to buy instant noodles and alcohol,” Herlina laments. “The focus is on filling the stomach, not on nutritional value.”
Agats, the capital of Asmat, which is home to around 24,000 residents, including 3,450 children under five, faces severe malnutrition. Surrounded by polluted water and dependent on rainwater for daily needs, the local community struggles to grow food. Most are imported and expensive. The remote location, accessible only by boat, exacerbates this condition.
Since 2021, UNICEF has been working with the government of South Papua to strengthen health systems and empower communities to prevent, detect and treat childhood wasting. This includes training health service providers on the Integrated Malnutrition Management Approach (PGTB). Supported by the Ministry of Health, PGTB is a method to identify and treat children with severe wasting.
PGBT has successfully treated 85 to 90 percent of severely wasted children at home without requiring hospitalization, if identified early. This includes wasted children at the household and community level, using a simple upper arm circumference (LiLA) tape measure.
Before the training, children with severe wasting in Asmat had to be referred to the district hospital. Now, they can be treated at the Puskesmas by Herlina and other healthcare providers. Since being trained in 2022, Herlina has identified more than 60 cases of severe wasting.
One of her unforgettable memories is trying to save a child with severe wasting. “We referred the child for standard treatment, but it was too late to save him,” she recalls fighting back tears. Despite experiencing such sorrow, Herlina and her team worked tirelessly to save others. Her efforts included distributing therapeutic food and educating mothers on nutrition at every home visit.
