"Will we be able to achieve a stunting-free Indonesia in 2030? There are only two years left (to achieve the target of reducing stunting prevalence to 14 percent in 2024). We have to do hard work," BKKBN's family planning counselor (PKB) and main expert, Siti Fathonah, said at the “National Technical Coordination Meeting for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction,” which was held in an online-offline format and accessed from here on Monday.
Stunting is still a concern for the government because the reduction in its prevalence from year to year has been low, namely under 2 percent per year, she highlighted.
According to the Indonesian Nutritional Status Study (SSGI), Indonesia's stunting prevalence stood at 24.4 percent in 2021. Currently, the government is still awaiting SSGI 2022 data, which will reflect the stunting reduction achieved since the 2021 study.
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The newest data will serve as a reference to whether government efforts have been in line with the target of reducing stunting prevalence to 14 percent by 2024.
She also highlighted that the national stunting prevalence target for the 2025–2030 period must be determined based on an evaluation in 2024.
The issuance of Presidential Regulation Number 72 of 2021 concerning the acceleration of reducing stunting, which was followed by BKKBN Regulation Number 12 of 2021, served as a warning to curb stunting and as a basis for efforts to accelerate stunting reduction, she noted.
She further said that BKKBN's Regulation Number 12 of 2021 concerning the National Action Plan for Indonesia's Stunting Rate Reduction Acceleration (RAN-PASTI) includes an explanation of the main priority activities, goals, indicators, targets, and the person in charge.
Fathonah affirmed that BKKBN has made efforts to expedite stunting reduction, such as mapping the role of ministries and agencies in accelerating stunting reduction and forming stunting reduction acceleration teams (TPPS) at the provincial, district, city, and village levels as as well family assistance teams (TPK).
The agency has also formed stunting reduction acceleration task forces at BKKBN at the central, provincial, district, and city levels, which serve to assist in the coordination, consultation, and facilitation of TPPS at the provincial, district, and city levels.
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Translator: Rizka Khaerunnisa, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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