"The government is making stunting as one of the priority programs because it is related to human resources in the future," Amin noted during an audience with the executive board of Kowani and White Ribbon Indonesia (PPI) at his official residence here on Tuesday, according to a press release.
Amin highlighted that if the problem of stunting is not handled, then there will be generations that are unhealthy and have no competitiveness. To this end, the government is targeting to reduce stunting prevalence to reach 14 percent in 2024.
According to the vice president, Indonesia's stunting prevalence currently stands at around 21.52 percent, or only declined by 2.9 percent as compared to 2021 during which the figure stood at 24.4 percent. Thus, to achieve the stunting prevalence target of 14 percent by 2024, efforts should be expedited with the support of various parties, including Kowani.
"In particular, the step that must be taken is to streamline the role of the Stunting Reduction Acceleration Team at the central, provincial, and (especially) district/city levels," he stated.
He noted that Sumedang District, West Java, was one of the regions to have succeeded in handling stunting well by encouraging the establishment of integrated health posts (posyandu).
Posyandu cadres in Sumedang District can produce up to nine thousand stunting reduction pioneers, chiefly constituting women members.
The vice president urged Kowani and PPI to push for the emergence of stunting reduction pioneers in regions to help educate people on specific and sensitive interventions in stunting reduction efforts.
He noted that 30 percent of the stunting reduction efforts depended on specific interventions, specifically those related to improving nutrition and health.
Meanwhile, 70 percent depended on sensitive interventions, specifically supporting interventions for stunting reduction, such as the provision of clean water and sanitation.
On the occasion, he also welcomed the plan of the declaration of the "Nation Mothers" Movement by Kowani and PPI as an effort to reduce stunting prevalence in the country.
Kowani Chairperson Giwo Rubianto Wiyogo said her side had inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with PPI for implementation of the Nation Mothers Movement.
Wiyogo noted that the declaration aims to support efforts to save children from the threat of stunting in the first one thousand days of their lives as well as to monitor and handle cases of malnutrition.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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