"We are accelerating stunting reduction in seven provinces with the highest stunting prevalence and five provinces with the highest number of stunting under-fives (age group),” Amin informed during a working meeting on stunting reduction acceleration in 12 priority provinces at the Vice Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday.
The provinces with a high number of stunting cases comprise East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Aceh, West Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan, he said.
According to the results of the Indonesia Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI), in 2021, the prevalence of stunting in NTT reached 37.8 percent, West Sulawesi 33.8 percent, Aceh 33.2 percent, NTB 31.4 percent, Southeast Sulawesi 30.2 percent, South Kalimantan 30.0 percent, and West Kalimantan 29.8 percent.
"While the five provinces with the highest number of stunting among toddlers are West Java, Central Java, East Java, Banten, and North Sumatra," Amin added.
According to government data, the number of stunted children under the age of five in West Java has been recorded at 971,792, Central Java 651,708, East Java 508,618, North Sumatra 347,437, and Banten 268,158.
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The Vice President said that the government is seeking to eradicate stunting in more than 60 percent of children aged under five in the 12 priority provinces.
To accelerate stunting reduction, President Joko Widodo on August 5, 2021, issued Presidential Regulation Number 72 of 2021 concerning the acceleration of stunting reduction.
The regulation includes a national strategy to accelerate the reduction of stunting and tackle chronic malnutrition that hampers children's growth.
According to the 2021 SSGI, the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia in 2021 was 24.4 percent. The government is trying to reduce the rate to 14 percent by 2024.
"This means that we have to reduce stunting by 10.4 percent in the remaining time, which is certainly a challenge for us," Amin emphasized.
The government is carrying out specific and sensitive interventions to accelerate the reduction in stunting by addressing the direct causes of stunting, and sensitive interventions to handle the indirect causes of stunting.
Interventions carried out to reduce stunting have included improving health and nutrition services, family assistance, promoting environmental health, increasing access to clean water, as well as providing education and counseling to young women and prospective brides.
The working meeting on accelerating stunting reduction in 12 priority provinces was attended by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy; Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin; head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN), Hasto Wardoyo; Aceh Governor Achmad Marzuki; North Sumatra Governor Edy Rahmayadi; acting governor of Banten, Al Muktabar; and representatives of regional heads of priority provinces.
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Translator: Desca Lidya N, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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