"It is essential for us to remember that the problem of stunting is not only about a problem of abnormal height, but imperfections in achieving optimal growth as a child and their potential as a human," head of the national policy team for the acceleration of poverty reduction (TNP2K) of Setwapres, Elan Satriawan, said at the “Reflection of Policies for the Acceleration of Nutrition Improvement Forum” on Wednesday.
Stunting significantly affects a child's level of intelligence, he said. Such children can also become vulnerable to disease. Thus, stunting can reduce productivity, which can seriously hamper economic growth as well as widen the poverty gap.
Stunting in children is caused by problems during pregnancy, either in the form of inadequate nutritional intake, unhealthy environment, or inappropriate family upbringing.
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According to the Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI), in 2021, Indonesia's stunting rate stood at 24.4 percent. In a 2012 assessment conducted by the OECD PISA, in terms of intelligence, Indonesian children ranked 64th out of 65 countries, below Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, Satriawan informed.
"Stunting problems also have implications for social life and also for the economic life of society," he pointed out.
He further noted that based on international experience and evidence, stunting can hinder the pace of economic growth and productivity in the labor market, which could result in the country losing 11 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).
Stunting could even reduce the income of adult workers by up to 20 percent. Therefore, a worsening of inequality could occur, wherein stunting could reduce 10 percent of total lifetime income and strengthen intergenerational poverty.
He emphasized that even though the country has a program that is capable of accelerating stunting eradication, the country's leaders must directly assist the relevant ministries/agencies as that could bolster the synergy of all parties.
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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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