Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the monitoring is intended to gauge the effectiveness of the policy and will complement data from the Free Health Checkup (CKG) program, which promotes screening and early detection of disease.
He said nutrition surveys, previously conducted annually to track stunting prevalence, will now expand to include school-aged children over five.
“This will allow us to track the nutritional development of our children,” Sadikin said.
The minister added that the findings will provide feedback to improve future policies.
Aries Marsudiyanto, head of development control and special investigation, said the government is committed to thorough evaluations to ensure MBG helps produce a healthier, smarter generation.
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Marsudiyanto pointed to Brazil, which launched a similar initiative in 1955 that reached 40 million beneficiaries over 11 years.
“In Indonesia, MBG has not completed its first year, yet it already serves about 30 million people. This is a major program to build a golden generation for Indonesia," he said.
Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan said the program’s vast scale and impact also bring significant challenges.
The government is drafting regulations to strengthen its system, he added.
Hasan said the rules, expected within a week, will take the form of either a presidential regulation or directive. They will define the roles, authority and responsibilities of ministries and institutions, and ensure coordination among them.
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Reporter: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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