"Stunting reduction is key for preparing excellent and quality generations," he said in a statement on Thursday.
Indonesia will soon reap a demographic dividend that must be utilized well by preparing excellent generations, he added.
"The Indonesian government continues to make efforts to prepare excellent, quality, and competitive human resources. Of course, it needs the active role of all relevant parties," Effendy said.
The government has continued to optimize the stunting reduction acceleration program, including by ensuring the nutritional fulfillment of pregnant women and under-five children, he said.
The minister noted that based on the Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI), Indonesia's stunting prevalence currently stands at 21.6 percent. The government wants the stunting prevalence to decline to 14 percent in 2024
He asked all stakeholders to boost three super-priority programs: first, the extreme poverty eradication program. The Indonesian government is aiming to achieve zero percent extreme poverty by 2024.
"In 2024, it is expected that extreme poverty rate will no longer exist in Indonesia or be close to zero," he said.
The second super-priority program is stunting prevalence reduction. Extreme poverty and stunting are interrelated, so handling extreme poverty will also prompt a reduction in stunting cases, he explained.
Then, the third super-priority program is the revitalization of vocational education and training.
"The revitalization of vocational education and training is crucial to prepare (people at) productive ages, especially young productive ages, to be able to enter the world of work well," Effendy stated.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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