It must be optimized to accelerate our stunting reduction target achievement
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy has urged local governments to continue optimizing the role of Team for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction (TPPS) to reduce stunting rate to 14 percent targeted by 2024.

"Each region has a TPPS that has been coordinated by the regional head. It must be optimized to accelerate our stunting reduction target achievement," the minister noted in a written statement received here, Friday.

Effendy remarked that the government also continues to accelerate stunting reduction to achieve the expected target.

Hence, to this end, Effendy emphasized the need for synergy and collaboration from all stakeholders, starting from the relevant ministries and institutions to local governments.

"With this collaboration, we hoped that the acceleration of stunting reduction will run according to the target, which is 14 percent in 2024," he remarked.

Moreover, he is upbeat that the target could be achieved sooner, given Indonesia's success in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Based on the direction of Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, Presidential Decree 72 of 2021 will be optimized regarding the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction, including by optimizing the budget to support this program," Effendy remarked.

Optimization of the budget is in the form of spreading the fund across 38 related ministries and institutions that will continue to be coordinated to expedite the reduction of stunting.

"While for the Village Fund budget and Special Allocation Fund (DAK) for each region, it can also be used specifically for handling stunting," the minister stated.

Effendy emphasized the need for the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) and the Ministry of Finance to continue to ensure the use of a specific budget to accelerate the reduction of stunting.

Based on the results of the 2022 Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI), the stunting prevalence rate in Indonesia was still recorded at 21.6 percent. This figure decreased by 2.8 percent from the previous year.

The government targets to reduce stunting prevalence to 14 percent in 2024.

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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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