If we can reduce anaemia cases of the brides and grooms, we can avoid the birth of babies with Low Birth Weight...Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) requires every prospective bride and groom to obtain a certificate from the Ready for Marriage and Pregnancy Electronic Application (Elsimil) before getting married.
"BKKBN has collaborated with the Religious Affairs Ministry to issue a circular, so that all prospective brides and grooms have an Elsimil Certificate three months before marriage," Director for Youth Resilience Development at BKKBN Victor Palimbong said in a statement on Friday.
Palimbong remarked that brides and grooms are also urged to bring the certificate to the local Religious Affairs Office (KUA).
The use of Elsimil is one of the government's attempts to expedite reduction in the prevalence of stunting by implementing health screening as well as providing reproductive health education, nutritional improvement, and assistance for prospective brides.
Earlier, the Health Ministry has said that the high number of cases of anemia suffered by adolescents as well as prospective brides are considered to majorly contribute to increasing the prevalence of stunting.
"If we can reduce anemia cases in brides, we can avoid the birth of babies with Low Birth Weight (LBW). Thus, we can lessen the risk of stunting,” the director remarked.
He said that after brides and grooms conduct screening as well as get reproductive health education and assistance, they will obtain the certificate from Elsimil.
As of December 30, 2022, BKKBN recorded that 724,353 prospective brides and grooms had registered on Elsimil, while 394,374 of them had filled out the health screening questionnaire.
Brides and grooms are expected to download Elsimil and fill out the questionnaire after a health check to measure their weight, hemoglobin (Hb) levels, as well as circumference of their upper arms.
"If the examination result shows that the Hb level is below 12 gr/dl (gram per decilitre) and the circumference of the bride's upper arm is less than 23.5 centimeters, then the prospective bride may be at risk of giving birth to a stunted baby," Palimbong explained.
Prospective brides, who are at risk of giving birth to a stunted baby, will receive assistance from the Family Assistance Team (TPK) that comprises midwives, family planning cadres, and also Family Welfare Development (PKK) cadres.
The TPK will provide health education to brides and grooms as well as facilitate them to visit health facilities so as to ensure that their health conditions are ideal for marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth.
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Translator: Hreeloita Shanti, Uyu Liman
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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