Dissemination and education will continue to be strengthened, especially regarding the importance of animal protein intake for children and for adolescent girls and prospective brides who later will get married and become prospective mothers.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture has highlighted the importance of animal proteins for fulfilling children's nutritional needs and supporting their growth and development.

"Increase the provision of animal proteins to support children's growth and development and especially, to support stunting prevention efforts," the ministry's Assistant Deputy for Nutrition Security and Health Promotion Jelsi Natalia Marampa said when contacted on Wednesday.

Animal proteins are rich in nutrients that are important for supporting the growth and development of children, she explained.

"Parents can give their children eggs, fish, chicken liver, and meat as choices of animal proteins," she said.

According to Marampa, her ministry and the relevant ministries and agencies are continuing to strengthen education and dissemination of information regarding the benefits of animal proteins to increase public awareness and understanding and to support stunting reduction acceleration efforts.

"Dissemination and education will continue to be strengthened, especially regarding the importance of animal protein intake for children and for adolescent girls and prospective brides who later will get married and become prospective mothers," she said.

She further said that her ministry is also encouraging community health centers (puskesmas) and integrated health posts (posyandus) in all regions to play an active role in providing counseling, education, and assistance to prospective mothers and mothers with under-five children.

"The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture also invites parents of adolescent girls to ensure their girls consume blood-booster tablets to prevent anemia," she added.

She said that parents must also ensure that adolescent girls eat a balanced diet.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy said that the government is continuing to make strategic efforts to accelerate stunting reduction.

He noted that Indonesia's stunting prevalence stands at 21.6 percent based on the 2022 Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI).

According to him, the government is targeting to bring down the stunting rate to 14 percent by 2024.

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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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