"We are confident that the Bandarlampung government can reach the target for stunting reduction," BKKBN Head Hasto Wardoyo said in a written statement received here on Thursday.
Lampung is one of the provinces where the stunting rate is lower than 20 percent, the rate set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to the National Nutrition Status Study, in 2021, stunting prevalence in Bandarlampung reached 19.4 percent. At the provincial level, the rate was recorded at 18.5 percent.
He then cited the agency's data, which showed that of the 1.18 million Bandarlampung residents, 67,138 families are at risk of stunting.
The families in question are spread over 20 sub-districts. However, most of the at-risk families are living in areas located near the sea, such as West Telukbetung, South Telukbetung, and East Tanjungkarang Sub-districts.
To prevent babies from being born stunted, he urged all Bandarlampung government officials to monitor and assist families by utilizing family data to formulate solutions to the issue in their respective areas.
"The National Population and Family Planning Agency has by name, by address data for all these families at risk of stunting. So, utilize these data to put in measures to reduce the stunting rate," he said.
Meanwhile, Mayor of Bandarlampung Eva Dwiana expressed her administration's commitment to reducing the stunting rate in the area to 14 percent by 2024.
She said that her administration will oversee the progress of Family Planning Assistance allocation and dispatch assisting teams to support stunting reduction, as well as monitor special allocation funding to ensure it is utilized completely.
As much as Rp375 thousand per month is being provided as an incentive to assistants, she informed adding that the sum is being sourced from Bandarlampung's regional budget.
The 2022 regional budget will be used for supplying nutritious food to toddlers with stunted growth, as well as campaigning and educating people on the importance of mothers' milk.
"I will lead in person. God willing, we can achieve the (stunting reduction) target. We also have set Rp5 billion in the regional budget to be allocated for efforts to reduce the stunting rate," she added.
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Related news: Limited family education hampers stunting prevention: BKKBN
Translator: Hreeloita D S, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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