Hopefully, we would be able to catch up in 2022Jakarta (ANTARA) - The central government will distribute 3,355 ultrasound (USG) devices to community health centers (Puskesmas) to avoid stunting in babies during pregnancy, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated.
"Hopefully, we would be able to catch up in 2022. We plan to distribute 3,355 USG devices to all Puskesmas," Sadikin noted at the kick-off of the Stunting Cases Audit on Thursday.
The 3,355 USG devices will be provided in Puskesmas to help health workers for monitoring the fetus, with body weight below average, he remarked.
The ministry will continue to deliver USG devices to Puskesmas in 2023. Apart from USG devices, the ministry will provide training to each Puskesmas receiving the device.
Furthermore, the ministry is targeting to conduct pregnancy checks (ANC) on 4,897,988 pregnant women six times or at least twice with doctors and USG.
Sadikin said his ministry will also cooperate with the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) to conduct campaign for reminding pregnant women to always check the condition of their pregnancy with health workers.
The minister remarked that the monitoring of stunting before birth would be continued by distributing at least 90 blood-supplement tablets to pregnant women in order to avoid anemia, and digital monitoring of the tablet consumption will be conducted digitally.
"Not only distributing the tablets but we will also ensure that pregnant women take the supplements," he remarked.
Additional food will also be given to a target of 847,351 pregnant women, who suffer from chronic energy deficiency (KEK). The food given will contain animal protein, such as eggs, fish, meat, and milk, for daily consumption.
Sadikin informed that two critical periods must be observed by the government to eradicate stunting in children, specifically during the pregnancy period, which contributed 23 percent to the stunting problem, and the breastfeeding period, with one of the indicators being the health and nutritional adequacy of the mother.
"We will hold discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration, and Ministry of Social Affairs to support animal protein intake for our middle-lower class people," he noted.
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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma S, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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