Oka made this statement while participating in the MBG meal distribution at two posyandu in Susukan Village, Ciracas Sub-district, East Jakarta, on Friday.
"Posyandu is one of the options for distributing these meals, but we will continue to improve the system to ensure that all pregnant women receive them. For now, the initial phase will only cover some posyandus," she remarked.
She elaborated that posyandu workers can utilize family data collected and updated by the Ministry of Population and Family Development to identify and reach target groups of pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.
"The last update was in December 2024, and the family data collection shows that there are about 1.07 million pregnant women and 3.7 million breastfeeding mothers in Indonesia," she remarked.
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Oka highlighted that the free nutritious meals will initially be provided weekly to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.
"For the initial phase, the free nutritious meal distribution will be held once a week at several locations, including Ciracas, Warung Kiara, and Bojong Koneng, where trials have already taken place. Posyandus will act as the distribution points for the meals," she elaborated.
Deputy Minister Oka reiterated that improvements to the MBG system will continue to ensure that every pregnant woman has access to free, nutritious meals.
She also acknowledged existing technical issues that need to be addressed, particularly those regarding the readiness of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units or MBG kitchens operating under the National Nutrition Agency (BGN).
The MBG menu provided at the two posyandu included rice, stir-fried pumpkin and meatballs, boiled eggs, oranges, and milk —carefully balanced to meet daily nutritional needs for carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fiber.
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Translator: Lintang P, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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