Stunting Rate In Kupang Regency Rises In 2022, Regency Government Allocates IDR 159 Million Budget

Deputy Regent of Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Jerry Manafe (ANTARA PHOTO)

KUPANG - The Regency Government of East Nusa Tenggara Province has allocated a budget of Rp. 159,820,750 to support activities to accelerate the handling of child stunting in the local area.

"Handling the problem of stunting is a serious concern for the Kupang Regency government, so that in 2022, Rp159,820,750 funds have been allocated from the Regional Budget II to support the acceleration of stunting," said Deputy Regent of Kupang, Jerry Manafe in Kupang, Antara, Tuesday, July 26.

According to data from the Health Office, Kupang Regency still has 7,207 or 24.14 percent of children who are stunted or an increase from 2021, which is only 6,674 or 22.3 percent.

According to him, the Kupang Regency Government is targeting by 2024 cases of child stunting in the district bordering Oecusse, Timor Leste to decrease by 10 percent.

"We will make various efforts to accelerate the reduction of stunting through various interventions to provide additional food, carried out in cooperation with the government, NGOs and DPRD," he said.

He added that in August 2022, a simultaneous weighing of babies' weight was carried out in all posyandu in villages in this district in order to know exactly about the weight condition of children under five.

According to him, through weighing the toddler's weight, it can be known whether there are stunted children in one village, making it easier for the natural village government to intervene in providing additional food so that the child's weight gets better.

"The mass addition activity for toddlers was carried out simultaneously in Kupang Regency in August. This was carried out according to the recommendations for the discussion on stunting at the NTT Province level some time ago in Waingapu," said Jerry Manafe.