City - Health Minister Uses Application to Simplify Data on Stunting Cases

The Jakarta Provincial Government keeps making efforts to record stunting cases in all regions, including by using an application to facilitate officers to monitor cases.

Parents must also know how to improve children's nutrition

While accompanying the Health Minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin visiting the Posyandu Balita (Toddler) Cempaka 3, Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta on Wednesday (2/22), Jakarta Acting Governor, Heru Budi Hartono explained the use of the application was also an acceleration of obtaining population data based on name and address.

"There is an application that was made a long time ago at the health center which will later be combined with the current one, namely Asik (Sehat Indonesiaku Application). Thus, the acceleration of obtaining population data based on name and address can be done. Even though there are already health applications here, we are sharpening them again for specific things such as stunting," he expressed, as quoted by Jakarta PPID's press release.

Ichwanul Muslimin: Jakarta Must Have Zero Stunting and Extreme Poverty

Together with the Minister, he saw the toddler examination process followed by local residents. As known, of the 15 children who had their health checked, three indicated stunting.

Seeing that, he urged parents to be disciplined in controlling their children's health at posyandu/health centers. It was intended that local governments can intervene if stunting cases are found.

"Parents must also know how to improve children's nutrition. We have been given information that there are eggs, meat, and fish that must be consumed. Support from all levels of society is also very much needed, not only the Jakarta Government and the Ministry but individuals who have babies must also be disciplined," he asserted.

He went on to say that the Jakarta Government has a program that is in favor of child development. One of them was by providing additional food assistance, both at schools and at posyandu/health centers.

Health Minister, Budi appreciated the Jakarta Government's seriousness in reducing the stunting rate. It was expected that the stunting rate could fall beyond the target set by President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo (by 14%) to below 10%.

"We want to measure by name by address, then identify which children have the potential to indicate stunting. In Jakarta, we have partners, and we also thank WhatsApp, Meta, and UNICEF for supporting and working together so we can reduce stunting in Jakarta, he continued.

He explained the collaboration with WhatsApp allows posyandu cadres to fill in the data entry for each toddler in various locations using the WhatsApp chatbot.

"This is a noble program, so WhatsApp is a company called Meta, they gave the chatbot service for free to us (Indonesia) and it can also be used by Jakarta to help eradicate stunting in Indonesia," he closed.