… thus, they can get ready for healthy pregnancies and likewise give birth to healthy babies in the future.
Ternate, N Maluku – The Agent Office of the National Population and Family Preparation Firm (BKKBN) in North Maluku Province arranged a coordination forum to expedite efforts to lower stunting in disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost (3T) areas.
The execution of stunting reduction in the 3T locations need to be best on target by concentrating on potential bride-to-bes, pregnant ladies, postpartum moms, and toddlers, Secretary of BKKBN-North Maluku Office Ansar Djainahu stated on Saturday.
” For example, numbers of reproductive age (PUS), who are about to get married, need to be informed on getting ready for medical checkups prior to marital relationship; thus they can prepare for healthy pregnancies and likewise bring to life healthy infants in the future,” he included.
There are three aspects that need to be improved to avoid stunting, specifically children’s diet quality, parenting patterns, in addition to sanitation and access to clean water, he said.
According to Djainahu, lack of nutrition over the long term can trigger chronic nutritional issues and interfere with children’s development.
He said that the handling of stunting in 3T locations, such as Sula Islands District, must be bolstered by strengthening partnership amongst stakeholders.
The occurrence of stunting in children aged under 5 in Sula Islands district reached 27.7 percent and 28.5 percent in 2021 and 2022, respectively, based upon the Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI).
The information revealed that the stunting rate in children under 5 in the region had actually increased by 0.8 percent.
Hence, the BKKBN Representative Workplace in North Maluku Province held a coordination forum, which was joined by 20 participants from the Sula Islands District Health Workplace, Sula Islands District Religious Affairs Workplace, and other stakeholders.
Regional Secretary of the Sula Islands District Muhlis Soamole said President Joko Widodo’s instruction to reduce the stunting rate to 14 percent by 2024 needs a strong commitment from all parties so that the rate can drop considerably, particularly in the district.
” It is regrettable that according to the SSGI information, the prevalence of stunting in Sula Islands District increased instead of decreasing, from 27.7 percent in 2021 to 28.5 percent in 2022,” he kept in mind.
Therefore, he invited all parties to work more difficult and strive together as the frontline for minimizing the stunting frequency rate.
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