Jakarta (ANTARA) – Special attention is needed from all parties to overcome the problem of stunting in Indonesia, director of health promotion and community empowerment at the Ministry of Health, Widyawati, has said.
“As one of the national health problems, stunting needs special attention and handling from various parties–from the government, private sector, to the family level. It is hoped that it will have a positive impact on reducing stunting in Indonesia,” she added in a statement released here on Saturday.
The Ministry of Health is focusing on specific interventions for stunting reduction, including improving sanitation facilities, providing health education, and providing nutritional support, Widyawati informed.
The 2019 Indonesian Nutritional Status Study (SSGBI) pegged the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia at 27.67 percent, or about one in four children are affected by the condition.
Even though the figure dropped from 37.2 percent in 2013, the rate still requires accelerated reduction, especially since Presidential Regulation Number 72 of 2021 has set the target of reducing the stunting rate in Indonesia to 14 percent by 2024.
The ministry’s interventions through the “ABCDE” campaign have included promoting the consumption of iron supplements–one tablet a week for female adolescents and 90 tablets throughout pregnancy for women.
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Pregnant women have also been asked to get routine checkups, at least six times during their pregnancy. Meanwhile, sufficient consumption of animal proteins is being promoted for babies aged above six months.
Next, the ministry has called for a monthly examination of babies’ growth at integrated health posts (posyandus) and immunization of children at posyandus.
The campaign is also promoting exclusive breastfeeding of infants for up to the first six months and continuation of breastfeeding until they turn two.
A member of the Nutrition Advisory Board of Herbalife Nutrition, Dr. Rimbawan, said that efforts to prevent stunting need to apply the principle of balanced nutrition.
“It starts from consuming foods that contain nutrients with type and amount according to the body’s needs by paying attention to the four principles of balanced nutrition,” he explained.
The four principles of balanced nutrition include consuming different types of nutritious foods, implementing an active lifestyle and exercising, maintaining ideal body weight, and implementing a clean and healthy lifestyle.
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