According to BKKBN's Deputy of Prosperous Family and Family Empowerment Department Nopian Andusti, stunting prevalence is not only an issue for this time but also in future, as the children currently will become the nation's future generations.
"How can we achieve the Golden Indonesia vision by 2045 if our basic capital, the children, suffer from stunted growth?" Andusti noted in his statement here, Wednesday.
The official remarked that family guidance is provided to prevent newborns from stunted growth and reduce the stunting prevalence to 14 percent by 2024.
The low nutrition intake in the first thousand days of life is causal to the prevalence of stunting among infants, which can cause cognitive impairment, growth issues, and vulnerability to metabolic diseases, the BKKBN department deputy expounded.
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Despite stunting not being curable, it is preventable by proper family planning until the child reaches two years of age and exclusive breast milk is provided to the baby, he stated.
"During the period, the provision of breast milk is one of the main foundations of a child to grow as a healthy and intelligent person," Andusti remarked.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives (DPR RI) Commission IX Chair Charles Honoris reiterated his full support for the BKKBN as the leading sector in the acceleration of stunting reduction.
He said that babies need special care in their first one thousand days of life, as 70 percent of their brain is developed during the period.
Moreover, short-term nutrient-specific intervention contributes up to 30 percent to preventing stunting in the baby's first thousand days, while sensitive nutrient intervention, provided by food fortification and healthcare and family planning services, contributes 70 percent to growth in the period, he added.
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Translator: Hreeloita DS, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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