Indonesia promotes holistic approach to rural stunting reduction

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4 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions Yandri Susanto reaffirmed his commitment to adopting a holistic approach to reducing childhood stunting in rural areas.

“We at the Ministry of Villages view stunting as more than an issue of malnutrition; we have to address the underlying factors behind it. Reducing stunting should begin upstream by tackling issues related to poverty, health, and education,” he said.

Susanto made the remarks while opening a coordination meeting on stunting prevention and reduction in villages across Banten Province, according to a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He said the ministry recognizes the importance of comprehensive efforts to combat stunting and called for greater attention to its root causes and the stakeholders involved across the economic, health, and education sectors.

“Stimulating economic activity in villages could create employment opportunities and generate sources of income, ultimately helping reduce poverty. Once poverty is addressed, we can expect stunting rates to decline,” Susanto said.

He further emphasized that the ministry would continue implementing various programs to prevent and reduce stunting through collaboration with like-minded partners.

The minister said Indonesia needs what he described as a “super team” to protect children from the risks of stunting, involving relevant institutions such as the Health Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry, and the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.

His remarks are in line with the government’s broader agenda to develop high-quality human resources capable of maximizing the country’s natural wealth as it strives to realize its Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.

Banten Deputy Governor Achmad Dimyati Natakusumah echoed the minister’s remarks, stressing that Indonesia’s younger generation must be positioned as a key driver of the country’s future development.

“Our children represent a massive investment,” he said.