Central Java Provincial Government Will Strengthen Sweet Kental Education, Not Milk To Handle Stunting

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Central Java Provincial Government will intensify condensed education, not milk to treat malnutrition or stunting. This is because many people still provide these products to their children. "If we look at the field related to stunting and thickness, education and materials must begin to be strengthened because we see that in the field it is rampant (stunting and giving thickness to toddlers, ed)," said Head of Public Health Affairs of the Central Java Province Health Service (Dinkes) Yuni Rahayuningtyas in a written statement, Wednesday, November 15. Not only education, the Central Java Provincial Health Office together with other stakeholders are aggressively optimizing posyandu services. One way, said Yuni, is by intervening in providing additional food (PMT). "We hope that the target for Central Java Province in 2024 will be achieved or at least the stunting prevalence rate in 2024 will decrease by three points," he said. Meanwhile, PP Aisyiyah and the Abhipraya Insan Cendekia Indonesia Foundation (YAICI) had explained their findings to the Central Java Provincial Government to families with stunting children in South Semarang. There, many parents allow their children to snack carelessly and they do not understand good nutrition. In fact, there are several findings that parents allow their children to eat instant foods high in salt, sugar, and fat that are sold in stalls such as thickness of sweetness, ice of tea, and snacks. They mostly argue that it is important that there are foods consumed by their children. Next, there is a monitoring problem regarding PMT distribution. This condition made the Daily Chairperson of YAICI Arif Hidayat assess that the Central Java Provincial Government must pay attention to this. Do not let the assistance be given on target but not used properly by the community. "The task of the government and all of us, after the PMT is distributed, is to ensure that PMT is consumed," said Arif. Furthermore, while monitoring the use of PMT, the provincial government can educate stunting alleviation. Including, informing the public of strong, not milk. "Education needs to continue, we together with Aisyiyah will also continue to support the government to reduce stunting, especially in Central Java," he said. Similarly, MMR Koord, the Community Empowerment Division of the PP Aisyiyah Health Council, Listiowati, said that her institution is ready to contribute to reducing the use of thickness of sweetness in the community. They will mobilize their cadres to provide assistance and monitoring in the Central Java region.

"We as the largest existing female organization from the central, regional, branch to branch levels are ready to help and mobilize our best cadres to strengthen, contribute and contribute with the government, especially Central Java, to eradicate stunting," concluded Rini.