THE IRONY OF SUBSISTENCE AFFLUENCE VS MALNUTIRION IN PNG
80% of Papua New Guinea lives in rural areas and relies on subsistence farming. The country is also blessed with rich and fertile land, where vegetables, fruits, greens and nuts grow in abundance. Yet, there is another reality that puts these statistics into a new perspective.
42% of our population eats less than the required 2,000 calories per day. More worryingly, 44% of children under 5 years are classified as stunted. A recent survey showed that 32% of PNG went for at least one whole day without eating, with Western Province getting the dubious distinction as “most hungry”.
How does one reconcile these contrasting sets of data? Nutrition-wise, Papua New Guinea seems to be failing – a number of indicators like stunting, wasting, and obesity affecting the health of our people.