"The first action is a comprehensive analysis of the situation in Surabaya. In this case, we calculate the budget for activities that will be held to accelerate stunting reduction," Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi noted as quoted from a press release received here Wednesday.
Cahyadi remarked that the data was obtained from each sub-district to analyze which area had more stunting cases.
The second program was to utilize the budget to support the implementation of stunting prevention and control programs and also to foster cadres.
In 2021, the Surabaya city government had provided guidance to 27 thousand cadres to help in eradicating stunting in the city. In 2022, the number of cadres had reached 48 thousand people.
"We have placed a cadre in every neighborhood to record the health of Surabaya residents. It was also an early detection on malnourished babies and toddler," Cahyadi noted.
He stated that residents, who took part as cadres in the Adaptation Period to New Habits or Blue Warriors, also supported the government's efforts to accelerate the reduction of cases of stunting.
According to the mayor, other actions taken to accelerate stunting reduction are the Golden Generation competition (Elimination of Stunting Problems), surveys through the Sayang Warga application, assistance for breastfeeding mothers, assistance in fulfilling child nutrition, premarital guidance, and building partnerships with universities in handling stunting.
Cahyadi remarked that the number of cases of stunting in Surabaya in 2021 had reached 12,788 and had been successfully reduced to 6,722 cases in 2022.
"We hope that by 2023, Surabaya would be free from stunting," he remarked.
Earlier, data from the Indonesian Nutritional Status Study (SSGI) showed East Java Province as one of the priority provinces in the stunting reduction acceleration program. Until 2022, the province had a high stunting prevalence rate of 23.5 percent.
In 2024, the central government targeted the national stunting average to be below 14 percent.
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Translator: Abdul Hakim, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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