Health officials in the Papua New Guinea Western Highlands have raised concerns at the alarming number of child deaths linked to malnutrition.
A father holds his malnourished son in Western Province, Papua New Guinea. Photo: Sally Lloyd
EMTV reported the Western Province public health director, Dr Maddison Dat, saying hospital admissions and death rates associated with malnutrition at the Mt Hagen General Hospital are significantly high.
Data shows more than 10,000 children below the age of five have visited the hospital for care over the last 12 months while malnutrition is the leading cause of illness and death there.
An EMTV fact finding mission reported that the region is a ticking time bomb with children dying from poor nutrition and most children underweight.
It quotes Dr Dat saying some of this is down to poor breastfeeding practices.
He said children should be breastfeed for at least two years to strengthen their immune systems and he is encouraging parents to familiarise themselves with family planning services.