Child food poverty

regular exercise, distancing from smoking and drinking, with regular health checks.

We all love our food, but how much do we love ourselves and our loved ones depends on what we put in our month, which matters the most.

When it comes to eating the right food, there is no “I’ll start tomorrow” as tomorrow is a disease.

Diabetes has taught us discipline for a healthy lifestyle.

Good food is wise medicine.

TAHIR ALI

Hamilton, New Zealand

A NEW study by UNICEF reveals child food poverty is rising in the Pacific. In Kiribati child food poverty has been recorded to be at 91 per cent, Samoa 80, Tuvalu 71, Tonga 47 and Fiji 45 (FT 7/12 pg 21).

It explodes the myth of “subsistence affluence” in Pacific island countries, which a Fiji government minister not too long back perpetuated with his claim that nobody in Fiji was starving or suffering from poverty.

Leaders need to take cognisance of the social change that has overtaken small island countries and the rising poverty levels accompanying the change and put in place appropriate policy initiatives and action to “prevent food poverty from casting a shadow over the futures of yet another generation of children”, as the UNICEF says.

That shouldn’t be the case in our region especially when we are not confronted by the ravages of war and conflict as is the case elsewhere.

RAJEND NAIDU

Sydney, Australia

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