"Good nutrition practices as well as school- and family-based nutrition education are crucial to creating a golden and quality generation," the ministry's deputy for the coordination of health quality improvement and population development, Agus Suprapto, said here on Wednesday.
To increase good nutrition practices and the implementation of nutritional improvement in children, the active role of various parties is needed, he said.
Ministries and agencies, the world of business, the world of education, mass media, and the community—all need to play a role in improving good nutrition practices for children, he added.
"One of the aims of the multi-sector role is to support healthy eating habits and balanced nutrition, both at school and at home," he said.
The developmental stage of children at the elementary school level is one of the most important ones and must, therefore, receive attention, he added.
"In this stage, the aspect of nutrition becomes the main key to supporting the cognitive development of children. Thus, various strategic efforts must continue to be made to prevent malnutrition," he said.
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Based on the Basic Health Research data, 23.6 percent of children aged 5–12 years were stunted, 9.2 percent were malnourished, 10.8 percent were overweight, and 9.2 percent were obese in 2018, he noted.
He affirmed that his ministry will continue to promote the implementation of a healthy lifestyle for children’s development.
According to him, to face nutritional issues in school-age children, a systematic and holistic approach and cross-stakeholder collaborative efforts are needed.
“The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture continues to push for synergy and collaboration among all parties to support efforts for meeting nutritional needs, from children to adolescents,” he said.
He affirmed that the ministry has continued to implement various strategic programs to support the implementation of policies related to the nutritional fulfillment of children.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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