"The blood supplements will increase blood supply in the body and could prevent stunting," Sadikin stated while visiting several schools in Bogor District, West Java, Thursday.
In addition, regular intake of blood supplements can reduce the risk of maternal death during childbirth and infant mortality at birth, he added.
Sadikin visited the Cibinong 1 High School, Cibinong 1 Junior High School, Cibinong 2 High School, and Cibinong 1 Vocational High School to deliver a campaign on blood supplements for young girls in schools.
"It is my job to ensure that our young generation has enough iron supply, one of which can be achieved through consuming blood supplements," the minister stated.
At the Cibinong 1 High School, Sadikin noted that annually, some seven thousand mothers died during childbirth and 25 thousand babies were born dead due to iron deficiency.
Sadikin is optimistic that the regular consumption of blood supplements would prevent mothers from dying during childbirth and avoid cases of stillbirth.
Meanwhile, at the Cibinong 1 Junior High School, Sadikin also reminded the girls to regularly consume blood supplements to prepare their bodies for the next stage of marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth.
"Children lacking nutrition will suffer from stunting and have 20-percent IQ below normal," he noted.
Sadikin also delivered three tips to keep students healthy, with the first being routine exercise, followed by eating a balanced diet, and third, taking iron tablets to reduce the risk of death during childbirth and stillbirth and also to prevent stunting in children.
"Those three could help us to avoid death during childbirth and stillbirth. We want the next generation to be free from stunting," he affirmed.
During the visit to the school, Sadikin handed over a lunch box containing eggs, milk, and blood supplement that were prioritized for female students only.
Related news: Education on nutrition crucial for preventing stunting: BKKBN
Related news: Gov't seeks to lower stunting rate to 14% by 2024
Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
