East Jakarta Commits to Reducing Stunting Toddler Rates

The East Jakarta administration is committed to reducing the stunting rate in society. It is targeted that the maximum reduction in stunting under-fives will be achieved within the next six months.

Hopefully, the results will be seen in six months

East Jakarta Mayor, M Anwar expressed the stunting handling in the community is a problem that must be faced by all elements of society, not just doctors, and the community health center staff.

"Currently, the prevalence rate is 14.4 percent. It was higher or one percent compared from the previous year of 13.4 percent," he expressed, Sunday (5/12).

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He suspected that the increase in the prevalence rate of stunting sufferers was triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic which has just subsided. As a follow-up, he hoped that all of his staff would handle it as a whole.

Technically, the health center was urged to become the leading sector for medical programming and treatment. Then the urbam village rank immediately made a Team for the Acceleration of Stunting Handling (TPPS) to support the formulated alleviation program.

He hoped that TPPS at the sub-district level could maximize the role of PKK cadres, Dasa Wisma cadres, posyandu cadres, and all existing potential to succeed in alleviating stunting in their respective areas.

As for the TPPS at the city level made an inventory of the activity programs of each regional apparatus organization (OPD) that could support stunting alleviation.

For state civil servants (ASN) in each sub-district, he urged them to be a foster father for stunted toddlers. He also asked for the acceleration of open defecation free (BABS) urban villages.

According to the set target, he calls on all urban villages to declare two RWs in their area every month to become open defecation-free areas. Hence, each urban village must innovate and involve CSR in building a communal WWTP as a solution.

"Hopefully, the results will be seen in six months. At least, we can reduce it by half," he asserted.

East Jakarta Health Sub-agency Head, Lysbeth Regina Pandjaitan explained stunting is a situation of malnutrition that lasts long enough to trigger growth and development in children's height that is unoptimal.

There are various causes for toddlers experiencing malnutrition, ranging from inadequate nutritional intake, and nutrition, to triggering congenital diseases.

Congenital disease factors include diarrhea caused by ecoli bacteria originating from human feces. Besides sanitation, he also reminded the importance of drinking water that is consumed free of ecoli.

Currently, 23.1 percent of areas in East Jakarta are open defecation free. But, we have to make sure the refilled water has to be boiled again so it doesn't get polluted by the ecoli," he uttered.