Involve the corporations.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) encouraged all local governments to immediately provide additional food for pregnant women and children under five years old, ahead of simultaneous children's examinations in August 2023.

"Spend the budget that has been allocated to expedite the reduction of stunting soon," Head of BKKBN Hasto Wardoyo remarked in a statement on Sunday.

In a virtual roadshow for stunting reduction acceleration held in collaboration with the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, he invited the local governments to use BKKBN’s data to improve their stunting reduction program and become more on target.

Although many provinces have smaller stunting prevalence rates than the national rate, which reaches 21.6 percent according to the Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI) 2022, the rates in each province may increase again due to poverty.

For instance, the stunting prevalence rate in Bangka Belitung Islands Province was recorded at 18.5 percent; however, 0.82 percent of its population lived in poverty, according to Statistics Indonesia’s (BPS) data in 2022.

Hence, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy also emphasized that the local government should optimize the village fund for handling stunting and extreme poverty.

The handling of stunting and extreme poverty greatly depends on the ability of the village heads to manage their village funds to overcome the problems as well as ensure food security, he said.

The coordinating minister appealed to the local government to maintain good collaboration with civil servants, the military, police, and private companies in Bangka Belitung Island Province to run the foster parents for stunted children program.

"Involve the corporations. I have not heard of any district or city governments (in Bangka Belitung Islands Province) that have involved companies in their respective regions (to run the program). The enterprises should be required to become companies that pay attention to stunting," he remarked.

Acting Governor of Bangka Belitung Islands Suganda Pandapotan Pasaribu noted a number of challenges in handling stunting, including the limited capability of program implementers as well as inadequate data quality, management, and utilization.

In addition, a number of indicators and targets of ministries and agencies are not aligned with Presidential Regulation Number 72 of 2021 on Stunting Reduction Acceleration, he continued.

Hence, his party continues to innovate by implementing various programs, such as Pelita (Care for Mothers, Babies, and Toddlers) Stunting Program in Pangkal Pinang City, Ambong (Assistance and Additional Food Intake for Toddlers and Pregnant Women) in Belitung District, and Hidropenting (Hydroponics for Overcoming Stunting) in Central Bangka District.

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Translator: Hreeloita Shanti, Uyu Liman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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