South Sulawesi Proposed To Enter The Priority Province For Handling Stunting

South Sulawesi is proposed as one of the five new provinces that will be included as priority provinces for stunting prevention because it has the largest population outside Java, in 2024.

Acting Governor of South Sulawesi Bahtiar Bahharuddin in Makassar, Saturday, said that even though 2024 was included in the political year of the election, efforts to accelerate stunting reduction remained his priority program in line with national priority programs.

"The election is part of our constitution and this is a system that is fixed and regular, once every five years. Then national strategic programs must be carried out, handling poverty, stunting, malnutrition and inflation in accordance with our priority programs," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, October 7.

The South Sulawesi proposal to enter the priority province for stunting handling was revealed at the National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction in 2023 at the Vice Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Friday, October 6.

The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK) in the National Coordination Meeting proposed an additional five priority provinces, including South Sulawesi.

"This is with consideration, South Sulawesi is a province outside Java that has the largest population, so it requires special attention," explained Deputy for Human Development Policy Support and Development Equity, Secretariat of the Vice President, Suprayoga Hadi.

Meanwhile, Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Hasto Wardoyo, said that currently, as many as 12 provinces have been designated by the government as priority provinces for stunting prevention because they are considered to be pockets that contribute to the prevalence of high stunting.

The twelve provinces are East Nusa Tenggara, West Sulawesi, West Nusa Tenggara, Aceh, West Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, West Java, East Java, Central Java, North Sumatra, and Banten.

"Proposing three points, including to accelerate the achievement of 3.8 percent per year. Now proposing the addition of priority provinces to 17 provinces, namely Papua, West Papua, West Sumatra, East Kalimantan and South Sulawesi," he said.

Hasto is optimistic that seeing the future trend, stunting can be achieved 14 percent in 2024. In 2013-2019 the average decline was 1.3 percent per year and then in 2019 to 2021 during the pandemic, a decrease of 1.6 percent per year.

"Alhamdulillah, in 2021 to 2022 even though it is still a pandemic (Covid-19), the decline can reach 2.6 percent per year. We can also still be optimistic where the target is 14 percent with a target decline (2023) of 3.8 percent per year," said Hasto.