The Anemia Of Indonesian Women's Youth Is Still High, Eating Free Nutrition Is Expected To Help Overcome It

Free lunch menu (nstagram/bodygisional.ri)

JAKARTA - One in five teenagers in Indonesia has been identified as suffering from anemia. Especially for young women, the number of anemia sufferers is still high, reaching 16.3 percent.

This figure has actually decreased from the previous 20 percent. However, the Director General of Primary and Community Health, Maria Endang Sumiwi, said that the figure is still relatively high and must be ensured to experience a constant decline in the future.

We do the Indonesian Health Survey in 2023, the number of anemia in young women decreases from 20 percent to 16.3 percent. It's down but not safe yet, we have to make sure the decline is constant. And 16.3 percent is still high, we don't want to be that high," said Maria, during a media discussion at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.

Maria said that one of the government's efforts to overcome this was the Balanced Nutrition Food program. He hopes that the nutritious food provided free of charge at school will reduce teenage girls with reduced anemia in Indonesia.

However, the children also consume nutritious food not only at school. It is hoped that nutritious food will still be consumed by children outside the school so that a significant decrease in the number of anemias occurs.

"Starting from this era, the government immediately provided food in the form of balanced nutritional food in schools. We hope that anemia in young women will decrease because there is nutritious food intake in schools. If that is not enough, the restaurant must be nutritious too," he explained.

In addition to providing nutritious food intake, the government provides blood-boosting tablets for junior high and high school girls. Blood tests have also been carried out regularly on young women since 2023, to overcome anemia.

"Since 2023 we have carried out hemoglobin checks for junior high school and 1 high school girls, to see education about nutrition, the benefits of providing blood-boosting tablets," he concluded.