Vice President Says There Is A Correlation Between Early Marriage And High Stunting Cases

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin emphasized the importance of education to prevent early marriage which could have an impact on increasing stunting or stunting rates. "Regarding early childhood marriage, there is already a law (which regulates), but it is not enough to prevent it. Therefore, education from all parties is needed," said the Vice President in a statement quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, July 6. This was conveyed by the Vice President after attending the peak event of the National Family Day Commemoration which was held in Banyuasin, South Sumatra, Thursday. The vice president said that early marriage hazard education needs to be carried out by all parties including religious leaders to provide an understanding to the public about the obligation to avoid early marriage. Because (the early marriage) poses a danger, the consequences that occur if child marriage is carried out. Something that causes danger according to religion should not, should be avoided. Therefore, this (education) will continue to be done, "explained the Vice President. Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Hasto Wardoyo who accompanied Vice President Ma'ruf Amin on that occasion added that his party measured early marriage with the parameters of pregnant women and childbirth in the age range between 15-19 years.

According to Hasto, 10 years ago, 36 women who had given birth or were pregnant under 19 years of age per 1,000 women, while currently the number is 26 per 1,000 women. "Our target is indeed to reach 22 per 1,000 women, for those who are pregnant and give birth at the age of under 19 years. But the trend is decreasing," he said.