"The rate of child marriage, which is still relatively high, must become a shared concern for us," Amin noted at the commemoration event of the 2023 National Family Day (Harganas) in Banyuasin, South Sumatra, on Thursday.
Amin remarked that several cases of early marriage were still currently found. He assessed that this may be due to the view that early marriage is not prohibited by religion.
Amin, as an Islamic figure himself, noted that although religion does not prohibit in terms of age to get married, child marriage can bring various harms, including stunting.
"Anything that brings danger is prohibited by religion. The Prophet himself said do not endanger yourself, do not endanger others, and every danger must be avoided, every danger must be eliminated," he remarked.
He further noted that a renowned ulema, Syekh Nawawi Al Bantani, also said that avoiding all projected dangers is an obligation, especially aspects that are already believed to be dangerous.
"Early marriage is highly believed to bring various dangers in families, so avoiding early marriage is a must," he emphasized.
He noted that currently, Indonesia's stunting prevalence stands at 21.6 percent. Meanwhile, the national stunting prevalence rate is targeted to reach 14 percent in 2024.
Hence, the stunting prevalence must be reduced by at least 3.8 percentage points each year in 2023 and 2024, he stressed.
The vice president called on families in Indonesia to use services provided by integrated health posts (posyandu) and community health centers (puskesmas) to monitor the health of pregnant women as well as monitor the growth and development of children.
He also urged Indonesian families to enrich their nutritional fulfillment and child-nurturing knowledge.
"I ask health personnel to provide information that is easy to understand and complete regarding those things, both (provided) directly and through digital portals," he remarked.
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Translator: Rangga Pandu, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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