With this specific approach, reduction in the stunting figure is expected to be better
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Stunting handling in 12 provinces should be expedited to support realization of the 14-percent case target in Indonesia by the end of 2024, Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono stated.

These provinces comprise seven, with the highest stunting prevalence, and five provinces, with the highest number of cases, he noted during the 2022 Stunting National Forum here, Tuesday.

Seven provinces with the highest stunting prevalence are East Nusa Tenggara, at 37.8 percent; West Sumatra, 33.8 percent; Aceh, 33.2 percent; West Nusa Tenggara, 31.4 percent; Southeast Sulawesi, 30.2 percent; South Kalimantan, 30 percent; and West Sulawesi, 29.8 percent.

Meanwhile, five provinces with the highest case count are West Java, at 971,792 cases; East Java, 651,708 cases; Central Java, 508,618 cases; North Sumatra, 347,437 cases; and Banten, 265,158 cases.


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In accordance with President Joko Widodo's mandate, Indonesia should expedite stunting handling to achieve the 14-percent target by the end of 2024.

Nationally, stunting prevalence is on a decline, from 27.67 percent to 24.4 percent in 2021 based on the Indonesian Infant Nutrition Status Survey.

Handling stunting necessitates specific intervention starting from before the infants are born.

These include ensuring that teenage girls and pregnant mothers consume blood supplement tablets as well as providing nutritional supplements to pregnant mothers with chronic energy deficiency.


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Intervention is also undertaken after the infants are born through the provision of exclusive breast milk for infants aged less than six months. Meanwhile, infants aged six to 23 months receive breast milk complementary food.

Moreover, the Health Ministry is monitoring the development of infants that experience nutrition deficiency to receive nutritional supplement, providing service to infants with bad nutrition, and offering complete basic immunization to infants.

"With this specific approach, reduction in the stunting figure is expected to be better," he stated.


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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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