“It is paramount to ensure that free nutritious meals reach pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers who are not enrolled in early childhood education institutions,” he said during a visit to an MBG kitchen in Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday.
He stressed that the government is committed to implementing the MBG program to cater to the nutritional needs of these three groups, in addition to schoolchildren.
The overarching goal is to produce healthy and high-quality human resources under the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, he added.
The minister stressed that supervision is necessary to ensure that the free meals are consumed by the intended recipients. For instance, he said that the food provided to pregnant or breastfeeding women should not be consumed by their husbands.
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“The absence of MBG food for these beneficiaries would signify injustice. What about the fathers? Well, it is their responsibility to get their own food,” Wihaji added.
He further stressed that the food provided for toddlers should not be eaten by their mothers.
“In short, supervision is important to ensure the food is consumed by those who truly need it,” he said.
He also encouraged local health workers and family planning counselors to help educate the public about who is entitled to MBG meals.
He said that the latest data shows the MBG program has reached 2.6 percent of the targeted 9.1 million beneficiaries from the three groups nationwide, adding that the figure will continue to grow.
“It should be noted that free nutritious meals are not exclusive to children, as the government pays equal attention to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers,” he said.
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Translator: Ricky P, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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