Slum areas are now becoming the concern of our ministry and the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing
Ambon (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (PMK) stated that sanitation improvement programs in areas classified as slums can reduce stunting cases in various regions in the country.

"The stunting problem does not only occur in Ambon City, Maluku, but also nationally and globally," Deputy Minister for Coordination of Education Quality Improvement and Religious Moderation at the ministry, Aris Darmansyah Edisaputra, noted in Ambon, Maluku, Friday.

According to Edisaputra, sanitation and hygiene issues are the main keys to child growth. Hence, stimulant assistance for sanitation improvement is deemed necessary.

He remarked that Maluku Province will also receive funding to develop housing improvement and sanitation programs in every slum area.

"Slum areas are now becoming the concern of our ministry and the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing. We want to stimulate the growth of sanitation improvement programs with related partners," Edisaputra remarked.

In order to reduce the stunting rate, several steps that should be taken are ensuring the targets are well-documented, starting from teenagers, pregnant women, and prospective brides and thereafter followed by evaluation activities to learn the problems faced by targets.

"Maluku has enormous marine natural resources. There is fish oil and plenty of anchovies. Nutritional food does not have to be expensive," he stated.

Edisaputra remarked that fish containing calcium and phosphorus helped in the development of the baby's bones to avoid stunting.

Meanwhile, acting mayor of Ambon, Bodewin Wattimena, said the city government had readied several programs to handle stunting, including foster parents for children.

"Almost all villages in Ambon have stunting cases. Our special concern is in Batumerah and Kudamati, with quite a large number of stunting cases," Wattimena pointed out.

So far, the city government had made various efforts to suppress the number of stunting cases in Hunuth, Kudamati, and Waiheru.

"The city government is committed to becoming a foster parent for children in stunting. We will wait for data from the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) to supply any assistance needed for children with stunting," Wattimena said.

Until 2022, some 600 stunting cases were reported in the city. The city government aims to reduce the number to over 200 children by 2024 to achieve the national target of stunting prevalence rate of 14 percent.

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Translator: Daniel Leonard, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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