We (the Jakarta provincial government) and the Health Ministry will immediately give a hand if a pregnant woman is malnourished.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Acting governor of Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono has said that his administration will strive to fulfill the nutritional needs of around 140 thousand pregnant women in the province to prevent stunting at birth.

"We (the Jakarta provincial government) and the Health Ministry will immediately give a hand if a pregnant woman is malnourished," he affirmed after a discussion on stunting eradication at Jakarta City Hall here on Wednesday.

He then asked pregnant women to get regular check-ups at community health centers (puskesmas).

In addition to checking the condition of the fetus, such examinations can also determine whether pregnant women suffer from anemia so that they can be provided vitamins, if needed.

Furthermore, he also appealed to pregnant women to maintain their health.

Besides pregnant women, the stunting eradication program in Jakarta is also targeting toddlers under the age of five as well as Grade 1 students at junior high schools (SMPs).

The ranks of the Jakarta provincial government will visit residents on Wednesdays to ensure they get a nutritious meal and disburse vitamins for toddlers and students, Hartono informed.

He said he is optimistic that the stunting prevalence rate in Jakarta can be lowered, considering that the number of cases in the region has gradually declined.

For instance, out of a total of 777 potential stunting cases in Cilincing sub-district, 134 have been resolved, he pointed out.

The Health Ministry and the provincial government of Jakarta are targeting to reduce the stunting prevalence rate to 5 percent by 2024.

On the same occasion, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin noted that Jakarta is one of the regions with the lowest stunting cases in Indonesia.

According to the Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey, the stunting prevalence rate of children under five years old in Jakarta has fallen from 16 percent to 14.8 percent, he said.

The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) has pegged the number of stunted children in Jakarta at 110 thousand, or about 14 percent of the total 790 thousand children.

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Translator: Dewa Wiguna, Uyu Liman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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