"Specific and sensitive nutritional interventions that are right on target can support the acceleration the reduction of stunting prevalence," the ministry's Expert Staff for Sustainable Development, Agus Suprapto, stated when contacted on Sunday.
Suprapto explained that specific nutritional interventions are part of the efforts to handle the direct causes of stunting.
"Specific nutritional interventions include the provision of exclusive breastfeeding, the provision of complementary foods, vitamin A supplementation, micro nutrient supplementation, and zinc and iron supplementation," he expounded.
Suprapto noted that sensitive nutritional interventions are efforts made to handle the indirect causes of stunting.
"Sensitive nutrition interventions include prevention and treatment of sick under-five children, management of moderate and severe acute malnutrition cases, provision of water and sanitation facilities, and administration of deworming medicines," he explained.
He further noted that apart from strengthening specific and sensitive nutritional interventions, the handling of stunting also necessitated improving the capacity and behavior of the community.
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According to Suprapto, efforts to improve the community's behavior are directed at adolescent girls and boys, prospective brides and grooms, pregnant ladies, and women that had recently given birth.
"These target groups need to implement a clean and healthy lifestyle and balanced diet," he stated.
The expert staff highlighted that the government is targeting to reduce the stunting prevalence rate to be at 14 percent by 2024.
One of the efforts to achieve it is encouraging people to consume a balanced diet and incorporate animal proteins in their daily intake, he noted.
He assessed that the stunting reduction acceleration program is crucially needed to support the development of quality human resources.
"This is part of the sustainable development program, one of which is creating excellent and competitive generations," he remarked.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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