"Regional governments and relevant ministries and agencies need to continue to increase the dissemination of information regarding exclusive breastfeeding," the ministry's Assistant Deputy for Nutritional Security and Health Promotion Jelsi Natalia Marampa stated in Bogor, West Java, on Thursday.
Marampa made the statement at the Deputy Meet the Press event that raised the theme of "Super Priority Programs in Human Development and Culture."
Marampa explained that breastmilk has essential nutrients that are important to meet the nutritional needs of babies.
"Exclusive breastfeeding can also support efforts to reduce stunting prevalence because exclusive breastmilk has many important nutrients that are very good for supporting nutritional security and children's health," she stated.
Marampa also said that her ministry encourages regional governments to intensify strategies for accelerating stunting reduction to realize healthy and productive human resources.
"Regarding stunting handling, regional governments can use Presidential Regulation Number 72 of 2021 on Stunting Reduction Acceleration as a guideline," she remarked.
She further called on the need for regional governments to continue to boost the dissemination of information on the importance of animal proteins in fulfilling the nutritional needs of children to support their growth and development.
"What is most important is to also support efforts to prevent stunting," she emphasized.
Marampa said that her ministry, along with the Ministry of Health, encourages all relevant ministries and agencies to jointly conduct a campaign on eating a balanced diet, especially foods rich in animal proteins, as part of the efforts to prevent stunting.
She noted that the campaign and dissemination of information aim to spread information and promote the importance of eating a balanced diet for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and under-five children to support efforts to accelerate the reduction of stunting.
Indonesia's stunting prevalence in 2022 declined by 2.8 percentage points to 21.6 percent, from 24.4 percent in 2021, based on the 2022 Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI).
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government is aiming to reduce the stunting prevalence to 14 percent by 2024.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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