Latest news with #stunting
BBC News
5 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Indonesia: More than 300 hit by food poisoning after eating free school meals
Some 365 people have fallen ill in an Indonesian town after eating school lunches, the largest spate of food poisonings to hit President Prabowo Subianto's free meals programme so far. The meals have temporarily been suspended in Sragen, in central Java, as food samples are being tested for contamination, local authorities program - which costs an estimated $28bn (£21bn) - delivers on a campaign promise by the president to combat stunting in the country. But it has been plagued by a string of food poisonings, as well as criticisms that its high price tag has put considerable strain on the government's finances - with several ministries having their budgets cut as a result. Wizdan Ridho Abimanyu, a ninth-grader in Sragen, told Reuters he was awakened in the middle of the night by a sharp pain in his suffered from diarrhoea and a headache, which he suspected was caused by food poisoning. He later saw schoolmates complaining of similar symptoms in their social media alleged culprit was a meal comprising turmeric rice, scrambled eggs, fried tempeh, a cucumber salad and a box of milk - all prepared in a central kitchen and distributed to several schools in government has said it would cover any medical expenses incurred as a result. "We cannot draw any specific conclusions right away," Sigit Pamungkas, leader of the town's government, had told Indonesia's Tempo newspaper."But the main point is that it's not just [happening here]," he said, adding that the free meals programme as a whole "needs to be more stringent and more hygienic". More than 1000 people across the country have fallen ill since the launch of the ambitious program in January, which is aimed at feeding the country's 80 million school children. Prabowo had ordered $19bn in cuts to pay for the free meal scheme - along with other populist schemes. As a result, several ministries had their budgets slashed by half and bucreaucrats alleged that they were forced to scrimp by limiting the use of air conditioners, lifts and even printers. Thousands took to the streets as a result, with one protest sign reading: "Children eat for free, parents are laid off". But on Friday, Prabowo defended the programme in his first State of the National Address, saying that it along with other social initiatives will help transform Indonesia into a country that is "free from poverty, free from hunger, free from suffering".
CTV News
14-06-2025
- CTV News
Drivers recording dangerous behaviour, uploading it for likes
A dangerous trend of drivers speeding and stunting continues in Edmonton. Police issued a plea to drivers to slow down on Friday. CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson reports.
CTV News
13-06-2025
- CTV News
Police issue warning to stunters, street racers after series of dangerous incidents
The Edmonton Police Service has released a video of a high-speed crash that involved stunting that seriously injured a motorcyclist.
CTV News
10-06-2025
- CTV News
Man ticketed for stunting on Bedford, N.S., highway: police
An image of the Halifax Regional Police detachment on Gottingen Street on Oct. 29, 2024. (CTV Atlantic/Joel LeBlanc) A man has been ticketed after police say he was caught stunting in Bedford, N.S., early Tuesday morning. A member of Halifax Regional Police's Traffic Unit saw a vehicle travelling at a 'high rate of speed' on Highway 102 inbound near the Duke Street exit around 8:30 a.m. Police say the officer clocked the vehicle going 158 km/h in a 100 km/h zone. A 37-year-old man was ticketed for stunting under the Motor Vehicle Act. The charge is automatically laid when a vehicle is travelling more than 50 km/h over the speed limit. The fine for stunting in Nova Scotia $2,422.50 and six points are assigned to the driver's record. The man was also suspended from driving for a week and his vehicle was seized. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Mail & Guardian
02-06-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Childhood stunting is also stunting South Africa's economy
More than a quarter of South African children under the age of five are chronically malnourished. That's bad for them, their families and the economy. (Envato) Make a list of the country's 10 priorities for national development. Now whittle them down to five. Does your shortlist include giving children enough nutritious food to eat? If not, you're missing an essential part of what countries need to grow their economies. Children who are well nourished and ready to learn, grow up to be skilled and productive workers that drive economic growth. South Africa has a stubbornly high stunting rate; if a child is too short for their age, it is an indication of chronic malnutrition. Despite tough economic circumstances, we can make a huge difference to child nutrition. Peru halved its rate of stunting among children in Make proteins cheaper The The body can convert excess carbohydrates into some amino acids — the building blocks of protein — but it can't produce nine amino acids that are essential for normal growth. Child obesity among poorer children is often linked to a shortage of protein as cash-strapped parents buy cheaper processed foods and starches. This is why we are seeing an increase in the percentage of children who are All of society — government, business, civil society and trade unions — must unite to make a basket of protein-rich staples far more affordable. Another protein-rich food that must be made more affordable is infant formula. Globally, the profit margin on infant formula is north of This suggestion may sit uncomfortably with some, who might view it as undermining the message that 'breast is best'. The reality is that over half of all Make sure minerals and vitamins are added to food Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals — An effective way of making sure children are getting enough micronutrients is to add them to food staples like maize meal and wheat flour, and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition found that 83% of maize meal in Gauteng and 69% in the Eastern Cape was unfortified or insufficiently fortified. Stricter enforcement should improve compliance, but it would be better if industry just did it without constant policing. There are other effective strategies to supplement micronutrients during pregnancy and the first two years of life. Instead of giving pregnant mothers iron and folate pills during pregnancy, they should get 15 different minerals and vitamins combined in one daily pill. This approach Among at-risk children aged six months to 24 months, small quantity lipid nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) Healthy food for pregnant women Babies born with a birth weight below 2 500g, a Western Cape survey published in 2023 has shown, are The Western Cape government recently Community health workers Countries that have significantly reduced stunting have one thing in common: they can Community health workers (CHWs) are best placed to spot this problem because they visit families regularly, but they are not provided with basic scales to measure weight. Instead, they are issued with coloured tapes to measure Limit the advertising of unhealthy foods Parents want what is best for their children. However, the messages they are most exposed to are not from advocates of healthy living but from the Big Food industry which often encourages eating habits that lead to high blood pressure and diabetes in adulthood. The government should convene a meeting of the dominant food players to forge an agreement towards a healthier nation, which should include constraints on the advertising of unhealthy foods. The five objectives outlined above are attainable even in a cash-constrained environment, but they won't happen without leadership and coordination. The National Food and Nutrition Council is yet to be constituted, but even if it were, its decisions would still need to be rolled out by departmental officials who are relatively junior in the government hierarchy. Good nutrition is so vital to socioeconomic progress that consideration should be given to appointing a 'nutrition czar' with enough authority to drive a strong national programme that could reset the country's trajectory of development over the next decade. David Harrison is a medical doctor and chief executive of the This story was produced by the . Sign up for the .
