We provide nutritious and additional food for pregnant women as an effort to prevent their children from being born stuntedJakarta (ANTARA) - Acting Governor of Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono has promised to directly supervise the handling of stunting cases in Jakarta amid a push to reduce the number of stunted toddlers.
"Every Tuesday, urban villages and community health centers (puskesmas) examine children's weight and provide nutritious food to them. We deploy a team of doctors," he informed while reviewing child health services in West Semper, Cilincing, North Jakarta, on Tuesday.
Hartono is planning to visit a number of locations in Jakarta to review stunting handling.
He said that he has received all the data on stunting cases based on synchronized names and addresses from both the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN), Statistics Indonesia (BPS), and the Ministry of Health.
"We will follow and handle data from the BKKBN, BPS, and Health Ministry. I will not argue on this matter. The most important thing is our action in the field," he emphasized.
His administration has handled stunting through interventions, such as providing nutritious food to pregnant women, in areas prone to stunting in a number of neighborhoods.
“We provide nutritious and additional food for pregnant women as an effort to prevent their children from being born stunted," Hartono informed.
In fact, the Jakarta provincial government has disbursed a variety of social aids, including health insurance, education, senior citizens card, and additional food such as eggs, meat, and chicken meat to residents.
"Once again, we are consistent in dealing with cases of stunting, including cases of extreme poverty. We will continue to carry out our efforts," he said.
Based on BPS data, North Jakarta has the most stunting cases in the city. In Cilincing sub-district, the authority has detected 777 cases.
During the provision of child health services at the Triputra Persada Hijau Integrated Child-Friendly Public Space (RPTRA) in West Semper, Cilincing, a number of residents brought toddlers along for weight and height checks.
Based on data from the local urban village, there were 50 under-five children who were found to be prone to stunting.
"The children are cheerful, but sometimes, they are a little short. They are 1 centimeter or 2 cm shorter than the WHO (World Health Organization) standard," the acting governor explained.
After the intervention, his administration has observed a decline of around 17 percent in stunting cases, or by as many as 134 cases in Cilincing.
Hartono informed that other sub-districts have also experienced a decline in stunting cases, with cases shrinking by 114 in Koja sub-district, 115 in Penjaringan, and by 14 percent in Tanjung Priok, 10 percent in Pademangan, and 22 percent in Kelapa Gading.
A number of urban villages in North Jakarta have also initiated their own programs to alleviate stunting, for instance, West Semper is running the “Spreading Love” or “West Semper Prevent Stunting in Toddlers” programs.
Earlier, BKKBN said that Jakarta had at least 790 thousand under-five children. However, the province’s stunting prevalence rate was estimated to touch 14 percent with around 110 thousand toddlers suffering from stunting.
Related news: Jakarta should not have cases of extreme poverty: BKKBN
Related news: Jakarta's children yet not free from danger of stunting: BKKBN
Related news: Stunting, obesity both extreme cases: Jakarta Governor
Translator: Dewa Ketut S W, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
