BGN Accelerates MBG in High Stunting Regions, Papua and NTT as a Priority

JAKARTA - The Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Sudaryono ensures that the free nutritious meal program (MBG) will be prioritized in areas that need nutritional interventions, especially areas with high stunting rates.

According to Sudaryono, this step was taken based on the mapping that had been presented by the Minister of Health regarding the regions that needed nutritional treatment quickly.

"We have also been explained by the Minister of Health about the areas that indeed need immediate nutritional touch, namely areas with high stunting rates. We will prioritize based on these data. If there is a kitchen that has been built, we will immediately operate it. If not, we will prepare it," said Sudaryono, Wednesday, July 29.

Based on government data, a number of regions that are priorities for the implementation of the MBG program include Papua, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), as well as several areas on the islands of Sumatra and Java that still have high stunting rates.

"These are the areas that really need nutritional intervention directly to the community, especially our children," said Sudaryono.

In addition to expanding the reach of the program, BGN also continues to make improvements to the implementation of the MBG that is already running. Improvements include program governance, menu quality improvement, to services so that the program can run more optimally.

"The point is, what is already running, we will first clean it up, steady, good, no problems, the menu is good, it is implemented well, and it is systematic. At the same time, we also implement it in areas that really need a nutritional touch," said Sudaryono.

The government hopes that this step can accelerate the decline in stunting rates while ensuring that children in priority areas receive adequate nutrition intake through the free nutritious meal program.