BKKBN Launches Assistance To Health Checks 3 Months Before Marriage, Coordinating Minister For Human Development And Culture: Strategic Program To Prevent Stunting

Head of BKKBN Hasto Wardoyo (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy said assistance, counseling, and health checks in the 3 months of pre-wedding as an effort to prevent stunting from upstream to prospective brides are strategic programs.

This was conveyed by Muhadjir before launching the program online. This program is the idea of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) in collaboration with other ministries/agencies.

"The idea of carrying out a minimum three-month pre-wedding counseling and examination assistance program is a very strategic matter, especially in relation to the fight against stunting," said Muhadjir as shown on the BKKBN Official YouTube, Wednesday, December 29.

In addition, Muhadjir also said that this program will be able to prepare a strong and successful family. This is of course in line with the direction of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) who wants each family to have a superior, intelligent, and capable generation that is responsible for advancing the nation.

Even so, he does not deny that this program will face various challenges from the community, especially when wedding preparations are considered a private matter. However, Muhadjir said this step was the right one.

"Now we will try to (pre-wedding, ed) not only be a private matter but also a public matter," he said.

"Why? Because the household is essentially the smallest part of the country. If the country wants to be great, wants to progress, the household and family must also be great," added Muhadjir.

On the same occasion, Head of BKKBN Hasto Wardoyo revealed that every year in the country there are 2 million people who are legally married. Of this figure, 1.6 million immediately became pregnant and 400,000 people experienced stunting.

With this condition, BKKBN continues to take preventive measures. One of them, through the newly inaugurated program.

"The pre-nuptials must be checked. One day, around 6,000 people get married, then 400,000 out of 2 million stunted people if there is no intervention," he said.

Thus, he encourages couples who are getting married to have their health checked. Including checking upper arm circumference, height, weight, then hemoglobin.

With this program, Hasto hopes that prospective brides and mothers who are considered unwell can be intervened. The goal is to prevent stunting in children.

"Finally, there should be no pregnant people who are anemic, no one should be malnourished during pregnancy," said Hasto.