BKKBN: Stunting Rate Increases By 32 Percent During The Pandemic

JAKARTA - The head of the BKKBN (National Population and Family Planning Agency), Dr. Hasto Wardoyo, revealed that the stunting rate during the COVID-19 pandemic rose by 32 percent. This condition occurs because many under-fives who were underweight during this pandemic then became stunted.

"Indeed, experts say stunting has increased to 32.5 percent", said Hasto in an online discussion, Friday, September 3, evening.

From the marriage factor, he continued, many do early marriages, which then must be accompanied by strict guidance. That way, the growth of her pregnancy can still be controlled.

"If the anemia can be corrected, the anemia will be corrected", he said.

Therefore, BKKBN provides applications related to the development of the baby's condition.

"What is the length, if the system is running. If the baby is born with 16,000, then the length of the baby born out of 16,000 will be found out today. We work with BPJS (health insurance) if the midwife doesn't enter it into the application, it should be a requirement. If it helps, enter it into the application", he explained.

BKKBN also has an application to record and control the nutrition of a new family's baby. The app is currently being tested and is expected to run in January 2022.

Certain city parameters are the focus of stunting suppression, namely, first, based on the percentage of stunting in the area.

"Secondly, based on absolute numbers, meaning that the absolute numbers are large, it is a consideration", said Hasto.

Third, how severe the determinants of stunting are really very minimal.

"For example, there are areas where the stunting rate is not too high, but water infrastructure, for example, is very lacking, that is also a humanitarian consideration. Those are important things to make which areas a priority", he explained.