"Through health checks, the physical health and reproductive health of prospective brides and grooms will be known," he said in a statement released here on Monday.
Effendy expressed the hope that through health checks, anemia can be prevented in prospective brides.
"Preventing or correcting anemia in prospective brides will support efforts to prevent stunting because if the prospective bride is suffering from anemia, she will have the potential to suffer anemia during pregnancy," he explained.
If anemia in pregnant women is not handled, they are at risk of giving birth to children with lower body weight or stunted children, he said.
Therefore, health screening or health checks, education and assistance for prospective brides and grooms are needed to improve their understanding and awareness, the minister said.
In this regard, the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture is encouraging regional governments, especially village governments, to ensure that prospective brides and grooms in their respective areas get marriage guidance and undergo health checks.
"If needed, a village regulation can be made that emphasizes the obligation for prospective brides and grooms to report three months before marriage to get marriage guidance and carry out health checks," he said.
The government is currently continuing to make strategic efforts to accelerate stunting reduction, the minister added. The 2022 Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI) pegged Indonesia's stunting prevalence at 21.6 percent.
"Meanwhile, the government is targeting stunting prevalence to decline to be at 14 percent in 2024," Effendy said.
To achieve the target, cross-sectoral cooperation, starting from the government at the central level to the regional and village level, is needed, he added.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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