Manokwari, West Papua (ANTARA) - West Papua acting governor Paulus Waterpauw on Monday conducted an evaluation of the intervention programs launched to address stunting and extreme poverty in the province.

"They need to be evaluated so that we can find out the progress of the implementation," he explained here.

The provincial government has formed the stunting and extreme poverty reduction task force to support the implementation of intervention programs in seven districts in West Papua, he noted.

He said that the goal is to make health interventions for at least 70 percent of the 2,659 stunted children spread across the seven districts within the next three months.

West Papua's extreme poverty rate was recorded at 8.35 percent last year, a decline of 1.29 percent from 2021.

"All officials must arrange an on-target and measurable work plan. This is important because this intervention movement must always be promoted," Waterpauw said.

Related news: West Papua forms task force to tackle extreme poverty, stunting

He emphasized that officials must carry out the eight convergence actions, namely situation analysis, activity plan, deliberation on stunting, regulation formation, cadre training and human development, data management, calculation and publication, and annual evaluation.

He further said he expects district governments to immediately issue local regulations as derivatives of the West Papua Gubernatorial Regulation No.17 of 2023, which provides the legal basis for program implementation.

He also advised district governments to involve customary, community, and religious leaders in efforts to accelerate the reduction of stunting and extreme poverty.

"We have three months. The task force must immediately encourage the district heads to quickly issue regulations. A database from villages to districts is also important," Waterpauw said.

Last month, the provincial government formed a task force for accelerating programs for reducing extreme poverty and childhood stunting in the region.

The provincial government has allocated Rp18 billion (US$1.2 million) for extreme poverty and stunting interventions in the seven districts.

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Translator: Fransiskus W, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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