Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin called for coordination to accelerate stunting reduction to be conducted down to the grassroots level in a bid to optimize target fulfillment.

Amin made the statement during his visit to the integrated health post (posyandu) in Binanga Village, Mamuju District, West Sulawesi on Friday.

"Coordination regarding stunting reduction to the lower level must be conducted. The community health center (puskesmas) must also disseminate information on this matter to the community," he noted in a press release received here, Friday.

Amin underscored the need to make strategic efforts to accelerate the reduction of stunting that is targeted at 14 percent by 2024, especially in areas with high stunting rates, such as Mamuju, West Sulawesi.

"We must push for acceleration to reduce stunting. I have received a report regarding the mapping. Now, the strategic steps are being prepared," he stated.

Through strategic efforts, the vice president believes that the national target to reduce stunting can be achieved.

"(Looking at) several reports from districts head and their ranks, I see optimism to achieve this target. The government is really pursuing efforts to reduce the stunting rate to 14 percent in 2024," he noted.

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During his visit, the vice president and his wife Wury Ma'ruf Amin also handed out vitamin A supplements to two toddlers at the posyandu.

This activity also commemorated February and August as months for weighing, measuring, and administering vitamin A simultaneously throughout Indonesia.

In addition, Vice President Amin also provided food assistance to mothers and children at the posyandu, with the hopes of helping them to meet the nutritional needs of pregnant women, nursing mothers, and toddlers, especially the need for animal protein.

A series of stunting review activities were conducted in Mamuju, as the region is an area with a relatively high stunting rate, he explained.

"(It is) because in West Sulawesi, the stunting rate is still high, at around 35 percent or above the national level of 21.6 percent. We want to reduce it to 14 percent in 2024," he emphasized.

On Thursday, the vice president also conducted a series of activities in Mamuju, including reviewing post-earthquake school reconstruction work and chairing the Coordination Meeting for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction in West Sulawesi Province.

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Translator: Rangga Pandu A J, Resinta S
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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