Villages play an important role in optimizing the reduction of stunting, maternal mortality, and infant mortality rates, as they are the closest government to the public.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) reminded village governments to improve their role in accelerating stunting reduction in Indonesia.

"The active role of villages is expected to reduce stunting rates, maternal mortality rates, and infant mortality rates," BKKBN's Acting Deputy for Training, Research, and Development, Irma Ardiana, stated in a webinar on Thursday.

According to Ardiana, villages play an important role in optimizing the reduction of stunting, maternal mortality, and infant mortality rates, as they are the closest government to the public.

This is also in line with the mandate of Law Number 3 of 2024 concerning Villages (Village Law) where the objectives of village development include improving the welfare of village communities and the quality of human life, among other things.

Ardiana then highlighted that one of the village's roles in optimizing the reduction in stunting, maternal mortality, and infant mortality rates is organizing the Toddler Family Development (BKB) program.

BKB is a program intended for family development to achieve optimal growth and development of toddlers. It targets families or parents with toddlers up to five years of age.

"The closest government to the BKB activity group is the village, where this organization has a big role in saving the first 1,000 days of life," she remarked.

She also noted that Presidential Regulation Number 72 of 2021 concerning the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction targets that by 2024, some 90 percent of villages should implement the BKB program. Currently, she stated that this target has been achieved.

"Based on our data, in 2023, the target has been 95 percent achieved. This data was obtained from the implementation of stunting reduction acceleration in 2023," she explained.

However, Ardiana emphasized that villages are still responsible for ensuring the quality of parenting classes through BKB can overcome various obstacles in accelerating stunting reduction.

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Translator: Tri Meilani A, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Arie Novarina
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