Viktor Laiskodat Calls Stunting Rate In NTT Down Drastics To 22 Percent

East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat. ANTARA

KUPANG - East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat said the stunting rate in this area had decreased significantly from 42 percent to 22 percent. "The number of stunting cases in NTT continues to decline significantly after the government intervened in various programs to improve nutrition for children who are malnourished in efforts to overcome stunting," said Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat in Kupang, Antara, Friday, September 9. The NTT Provincial Government has very accurate data on the number of children who experience stunting according to data from the population census conducted by the Central Statistics Agency. "The data we have is very clear, both the name and address of the stunted sufferer. We do not use the survey results because the accuracy of the data is still doubtful but the results of the population census are very accurate," said the Governor. According to the Governor, the number of stunted cases in NTT four years ago when he was the Governor of NTT Province in 2018, the stunting case was at 42 percent. The provincial government is working hard to suppress stunted cases to 20 percent. "We are trying to suppress stunting cases in NTT. We are trying to get down to 20 percent and even reach nine percent, but it is certainly not easy because it is closely related to human affairs that are stunted," he said. He said efforts to overcome children who are stunted must be carried out together because children who are currently stunted are the next 20-year-old generation, so that it becomes a burden for the government and the people of NTT to resolve this stunting together.