City - Health Ministry Optimize to Reduce Stunting Cases

The Jakarta Provincial Government continues to work to eradicate stunting cases in Jakarta.

From malnutrition, we have actually intervened

Jakarta Acting Governor, Heru Budi Hartono said that as many as 36,000 toddlers in Jakarta experience nutritional problems.

Based on BPS data, as many as 798,107 children in Jakarta are nutritionally vulnerable. The target toddlers included in the system are 457,000 toddlers and the rest 250,000 toddlers have been weighed.

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"The Minister directed that all of the 798,000 toddlers must be weighed. There are 36,000 toddlers in Jakarta with nutritional problems. And of course that's what we discussed. It is possible that it could go up or down because the population movement is very free," he expressed when meeting Health Minister, Budi Gunadin Sadikin, at Jakarta City Hall, Tuesday (7/25).

To stop the problem of stunting, the Jakarta Government has made various intervention efforts integratedly, namely assistance in providing additional vitamins and nutrition at both schools and posyandu, especially for KJP recipients.

"From malnutrition, we have actually intervened, as when the family was unable to get KJP, they received nutritional assistance with additional food, like milk, fish, meat, and chicken," he explained.

Aside that, the Jakarta Government would also partner with stakeholders or private sector to jointly deal with stunting.

"So, when he's nutritionally vulnerable, his scales are lacking, we're in there. If asked about funding, the Jakarta Government is ready," he explained.

He is targeting the Jakarta Government to succeed in reducing the number of stunting cases by 20 percent within three months involving various OPDs according to their duties and functions. This effort would be maximized, thus families of toddlers prone to stunting also pay attention to their children.

"We just want mothers and families to care too. There is a stunted child that we have cared for, he/she managed to be free from stunting. But when he/she concentrated elsewhere, he/she suffered again. That's why I asked the closest family to also help. When he/she is released from stunting, please take care of him/her," he hoped.

Health Minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin uttered the ministry will launch the Healthy Children Movement in July 2023. This movement would be implemented in 50 urban districts throughout Indonesia where stunting cases still need special attention. Jakarta was chosen as the starting city for this movement because it was very open, progressive, and committed to being free of stunting.

"Because we need full disclosure of the data to work. First, we agreed that the data would be made transparent and the weighing would be carried out for all toddlers, like before there were 790,000, now it's 250,000. That's a lot of areas that haven't deemed all of them. Jakarta is the most committed and the most prepared to be able to weigh it all," he uttered.

He went on to say that the weighing results would find data on toddlers prone to stunting, thus the implementation of stunting prevention was done by providing interventions through providing animal protein food.

"As for the funding, we'll open the Healthy Children Movement, foster parents or foster companies that can help. The funding is not a problem, we will integrate with the Acting Governor, to help the 36,000. There are lots of companies under his supervision that are sure to want to help," he added.

Then the challenge is to ensure that animal protein foods can be consumed consistently by stunting-prone toddlers. Therefore, the widest possible participation of the community is required.

"What was difficult was animal protein food getting into the toddler's mouth. How to ensure and maintain it. If it is successful, it will become a model for replication in all districts/cities," he said.