"The stunting and extreme poverty handling program is a priority that requires the active role of all parties," the minister noted in a statement here on Friday.
Effendy remarked that the problem of stunting and extreme poverty are two interrelated issues.
"Stunting is caused by the phenomenon of extreme poverty due to the lack of access to basic needs, access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and others," he stated.
The minister highlighted that the government continues to strengthen various efforts to address the problem of stunting and extreme poverty through specific and sensitive nutritional interventions.
"Specific nutritional interventions are interventions carried out to improve nutrition and health," he stated.
"While sensitive nutritional interventions are supporting efforts to accelerate the reduction of stunting, such as providing clean water, toilets, and sanitation facilities," he remarked.
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He deemed collaboration and synergy between ministries and agencies as necessary in order to conduct specific and sensitive interventions.
"For example, for sensitive interventions, this needs to involve the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) and other ministries," he pointed out.
"As for specific interventions, this needs to involve the Ministry of Health. Coordination is an important key that is very necessary," he remarked.
Minister Effendy also invited the public to play an active role in efforts to accelerate reduction in the prevalence of stunting. Currently, the government is targeting to reduce the stunting rate to 14 percent by 2024.
Meanwhile, Deputy for Coordinating Health Quality Improvement and Population Development at the ministry Agus Suprapto stated that the government continues to increase education and dissemination of information regarding the importance of fulfilling nutrition to prevent stunting.
He also said specific and sensitive nutritional interventions that are right on target need to be implemented.
Based on Presidential Regulation Number 72 of 2021 on the Acceleration of Stunting Decline, specific nutritional interventions are activities conducted to address the direct cause of stunting, Suprapto stated.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Katriana
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
