Effective Strategy To Prevent Stunting For A Healthy Generation

JAKARTA - Stunting is one of the big challenges in an effort to improve the quality of health and welfare of the people in Indonesia.

To overcome this, the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has compiled various strategic steps with a more preventive approach. Deputy Minister of Health, Dante Saksono Harbuwono emphasized that stunting management must focus on prevention before this condition emerges.

"We are coordinating and agreeing that stunting management must focus on reducing the stunting rate before it is identified," said Dante, when met at the Ministry of Education and Culture's office, East Jakarta on Monday, January 13, 2025.

According to him, the preventive approach is the main key in this effort. One of the first steps is to ensure the health of mothers and prospective mothers, which is the main foundation for healthy child development.

Dante explained that one of the main problems that prospective mothers often face is the high number of anemia, especially in young women. Anemia in pregnant women can increase the risk of birth of children with stunting conditions.

For this reason, the Ministry of Health distributes blood-added supplements to young women so that they do not experience anemia when entering pregnancy.

"Because, this prospective mother has a lot of anemia. I distribute blood-added drugs so that young pregnant women are not in an anemia condition. Because getting pregnant in an anemiaal conditions causes stunting children to give birth," said Dante.

Another step taken by the Ministry of Health is to ensure the availability of ultrasonographic tools (USG) in all puskesmas in Indonesia. This tool serves to monitor fetal development during pregnancy. If the results of the examination show that the development of the fetus is not in accordance with the gestational age, intervention can be carried out immediately.

"We have prepared ultrasound at all puskesmas in Indonesia. If the fetal development does not match the gestational age and does not immediately intervene, then there is a risk that the baby will be born with stunting conditions," he explained.

In addition, maternal health during pregnancy is also a major concern. Pregnant women are monitored regularly to ensure their nutritional needs are met. Monitoring includes measuring the health of the fetus and the condition of the mother, so that the risk of stunting can be minimized.

"The health of the fetus is monitored during pregnancy, and pregnant women are also monitored for nutritional needs. When a baby is born, the baby's weight will be measured according to the standards of the Ministry of Health," said Dante.

One of the other important steps is to intervene quickly if a baby is found with a weight that is not up to standard. Dante emphasized that preventing stunting is much easier than treating it. Therefore, every baby showing signs of weight loss must immediately get special attention.

"If the baby does not gain weight, then intervention must be carried out immediately. Treating stunting is more difficult than preventing it. When the baby's weight goes up before stunting, we have to intervene," said Dante.

This stunting prevention effort is part of the government's commitment to improve the quality of life of the next generation. By prioritizing a preventive approach, starting from the health of prospective mothers, monitoring during pregnancy, to intervention in newborns, it is hoped that the stunting rate in Indonesia will decrease.