Innovation is very important to accelerate the reduction of stunting. I hope that these innovations are not created for the award, but to bring changes to their respective regions.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) has awarded regions that have created innovations for expediting stunting reduction, BKKBN head Hasto Wardoyo informed in a written statement that ANTARA received here on Friday.

"Innovation is very important to accelerate the reduction of stunting. I hope that these innovations are not created for the award, but to bring changes to their respective regions," he remarked.

"Innovation will produce a mindset revolution that would change the landscape with new methods to spread information comprehensively," he affirmed.

The innovation awards were bestowed on 12 winners in six categories by BKKBN, the Indonesian Health Service Association (Adinkes), and the Habibie Institute for Public Policy and Governance (HIPPG).

Sumarji from East Java took the award for the people education category, Sofiana Nur Khasanah, Central Sulawesi, for the cross-sector collaboration category, and Rosmala Nur, Central Sulawesi, for the information technology use category, Wardoyo informed.

Dedik Kurniawan, East Java, won in the people's empowerment category, and Suharmianti Mentari, Riau Islands, in the local food processing category, he added.

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Innovation is very important for building collaboration with stakeholders and could help villages to break free from poverty as well as reduce the high stunting rate, Wardoyo noted.

Observing the support from regional governments, he said he is optimistic that Indonesia could achieve the target to lower the stunting rate to 14 percent by 2024.

He further said he expects that, through these awards, information on the innovations would spread to all of Indonesia so that other regions can take advantage of their local cultures and existing natural resources.

Meanwhile, Adinkes' head, M. Subuh, said that the stunting prevention innovation award in all regions would hopefully help maintain and expand the scope of the created innovations.

"We believe that every region will have the best innovation for their respective areas. To this end, support from regional heads is necessary so that innovation can be useful for regions' residents," he expounded.

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Translator: Hreeloita S, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Suharto
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