Expect Collaboration, Mendes: Stunting Reduction Must Start From Village

Screenshot - Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto conveyed directions at the Workshop for the Performance Evaluation of Human Development Cadres for Fiscal Year 2025, as monitored online in Jakarta, Thursday (9/10/2025). BETWEEN/Tri Meilani Ameliya.

JAKARTA - Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto said efforts to reduce stunting rates must start from villages because villages are the main locus of problems, as well as the key to the success of the national stunting reduction program.

"We move this from the village, we focus on the village, so we can reduce the stunting rate from the 2014 survey, which is 19.8 percent or equivalent to 4.5 million. The figure may be below 10 percent," said Mendes Yandri when delivering directions at the Workshop. Performance Evaluation of Human Development Cadres for Fiscal Year 2025, as monitored online in Jakarta, Thursday, confiscated by Antara.

Furthermore, he views that stunting management cannot be carried out by only one ministry, but also requires cross-sectoral collaboration.

He gave an example of the involvement of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), to grant support from the World Bank, is a form of cooperation that needs to continue to be strengthened in order to eradicate stunting.

Mendes Yandri also highlighted the role of the Village Fund which was partially allocated to support stunting prevention. He reminded village heads to take advantage of the Village Fund.

"This is the responsibility of all of us, especially village heads. There are Village Funds and the focus of Village Funds, one of which is for stunting," said Mendes.

Mendes Yandri emphasized that the stunting issue is not only related to health issues, but also moral movements related to the future of the nation's children.

No human being on earth wants stunting. But because of limited knowledge and lifestyle, they need assistance. Therefore, we must be present with the sincerity of the soul and heart," he said.

Mendes admitted that he was optimistic that with the joint movement from the village, the stunting rate could continue to be suppressed, even reaching zero cases.

"If we eradicate poverty, the economy is evenly distributed, then we can suppress this stunting rate. We can even make zero (zero) numbers," said Mendes.