"The nutritious meals provided by the National Nutrition Agency aim to enhance public health and students' learning abilities," said Dwi Listyawardani, a lead researcher at the BKKBN, in a statement on Monday.
She added that the program could also support the health of pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.
The National Nutrition Agency, which will serve as a strategic body for addressing nutritional issues in the country, will need to develop intervention programs to educate families, she said.
These programs can teach families about healthy and hygienic living to prevent the birth of stunted babies.
"The BKKBN has driven changes in people's behavior related to nutritious food intake. At least, awareness of nutritious meals has begun to rise among families," Listyawardani said.
She emphasized the importance of using local foods and produce harvested from home gardens to boost nutritional intake.
Awareness about utilizing local foods has improved following the "Healthy Kitchen to Overcome Stunting (Dashat)" program, which was organized as part of the BKKBN's initiatives.
The program was implemented by 200,000 family assistance teams (TPK) with support from family planning extension workers (PKB), family planning field officers (PLKB), and family planning volunteers.
According to Listyawardani, paying attention to the nutritional intake of infants aged six months and older is essential to prevent stunting.
She also suggested that the Free Nutritious Meal Program include prospective brides and grooms to expand stunting intervention efforts.
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Translator: Lintang P, Kenzu
Editor: Anton Santoso
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