Stunting In Kupang City Reaches 18.8%, Pelindo Launches Prevention Program

JAKARTA - PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero) or Pelindo runs the Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) program. The goal is to support the government's efforts to reduce stunting in Indonesia.

The program cooperates with local governments, other private sectors, NGOs, and the community in efforts to prevent and deal with stunting in Kupang City, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

This multi-party cooperation is expected to have a wider and more sustainable impact, so that the prevalence of stunting in Kupang City and in general in NTT Province can decrease significantly, "Pelindo Company Secretariat Group Head, Ardhy Wahyu Basuki.

One of the efforts in the program is the Community-Based Integrated Stunting Prevention Workshop in Kupang City.

The workshop aims to get an overview of the issues and stunting problems in NTT, increase the involvement of various parties in stunting prevention and handling, and encourage wider cooperation to support the reduction in stunting rates in Kupang City.

Based on e-PPGBM data in June 2024, the stunting rate in Kupang City reached 18.8% or as many as 4,233 toddlers. In addition, 11.4 percent of toddlers fall into the waste category, while another 22.3 percent fall into the underweight category. The three areas with the highest stunting prevalence are Kelapa Lima, Maulafa, and Radja City Districts.

Ardhy emphasized that as a port service BUMN operating in various parts of Indonesia, Pelindo has a responsibility to ensure its existence has a positive impact on the community, especially in improving health and welfare.

"Through the TJSL Program, we carry out our mandate to contribute to improving quality of life, including preventing stunting through nutrition education, providing nutritious additional food, as well as increasing access to health services for mothers and children," said Andry.

Efforts to prevent stunting in Kupang City include various strategic steps, including increasing access to nutritious food by strengthening local food security, education on healthy diets and maternal and child health, improving the quality of health services, as well as counseling on sanitation and environmental health.

"With a comprehensive approach and support from various parties, it is hoped that the stunting rate in Kupang City can continue to decline until it reaches the target set in the NTT Province RPJMD, which is 12 percent to 10 percent in the next few years," said Andry.