We have to synergize together, so what we aim for can be achieved, including public participationMedan (ANTARA) - North Sumatra Governor Edy Rahmayadi has called on everyone to actively play a role in reducing the province's stunting rate.
"Everyone must (take part) and not just the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) or the government," the governor stated in Medan on Saturday.
Rahmayadi stressed that collaborative efforts from several stakeholders will facilitate the achievement of the target.
The governor affirmed that the provincial government had been focusing on undertaking efforts to suppress the stunting rate.
"The North Sumatra Government encourages all strategic measures in preventing stunting. We all know that this issue is not merely a medical issue. Hence, in its prevention and handling strategies, there needs to be cross-sectoral convergence," he remarked.
He cited the 2022 National Nutritional Status Survey, which shows that the province managed to bring down the stunting rate by 4.7 percent, with the figure recorded at 21.1 percent, as compared to 25.8 percent in 2021.
Rahmayadi affirmed that his administration had conducted measures to address the issue of stunting.
"We have to synergize together, so what we aim for can be achieved, including public participation," he stressed.
Stunting reduction efforts must be pursued, such as by collecting data by visiting houses to check up on people, as well as identifying medical factors to stunting, in a bid to address issues that impede the progress in the realization of the goal.
"By (visiting houses), there will be some more facts that can serve as subjects for us to evaluate, such as the rate of awareness to adopt a healthy lifestyle, people's lack of (visit to get medical services), such as in public health centers and integrated health centers," Governor Rahmayadi pointed out.
Hence, through collaboration with others in the efforts, it is expected that the province's stunting rate could be brought down to 14 percent by this year as per their target, he concluded.
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Translator: Anggi Luthfi P, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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