"Consumption of animal proteins is essential to support children's brain development," he said in a written statement.
The minister explained that one of the efforts to optimize children's development and growth is providing balanced nutrition that is rich in animal proteins in the first 1,000 days of life.
"It needs to be emphasized that the stunting problem is not only about whether the child's body is tall or short and not (only) about whether the weight of the child is heavy or light, but what is more important is how the child's brain can develop optimally," he explained.
To realize children's optimal brain development, the main key is ensuring that they consume good, healthy, and adequate nutrition, in accordance with their nutritional needs, Effendy said.
He added that parents can meet children's nutritional needs by using local foods that are available around them. "For example, eggs, anchovies, kembung (Rastrelliger Spp) fish, chicken meat or beef, and various other animal proteins," he said.
The minister further said that a balanced diet that is rich in animal proteins is vital for children from the time they are in the womb.
"Therefore, pregnant women need to increase the consumption of foods that contain animal proteins," he added.
He said that the government is continuing to optimize the stunting reduction acceleration program, including by ensuring that the nutritional needs of pregnant women and under-five children are fulfilled.
Indonesia's stunting prevalence currently stands at 21.6 percent, based on the Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI), he noted.
The government is targeting to bring down stunting prevalence to 14 percent by 2024, he said.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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