Banda Aceh's Desired Stunting Could Drop to Five Percent by the End of This Year

Photo via Antara

BANDA ACEH - The Banda Aceh City Government is targeting to reduce stunting in the provincial capital of Aceh to five percent by the end of 2022 from the current figure of 7.4 percent.

"We are targeting the stunting rate in Banda Aceh to drop to five percent by the end of 2022," said Acting (Acting) Mayor of Banda Aceh Bakri Siddiq in Banda Aceh, Friday 18 November evening quoted from Antara.

Bakri said that even though Banda Aceh's stunting rate was 7.4 percent or better than the national and provincial averages, he still asked all parties not to be complacent.

"Don't be complacent even though our stunting rate today is better than the national and provincial levels. We still have to work hard," he said.

As is known, the national prevalence of stunting based on data from an Indonesian nutrition survey study was recorded at 24.4 percent. Meanwhile, the stunting prevalence rate in Aceh reaches 33.2 percent (data for 2021).

Bakri said, in order to accelerate the reduction of stunting in Banda Aceh, there are two important components that must go hand in hand, namely Pentahelix's commitment to collaboration and partnering, and the role of the family.

"The role of the family is very important in preventing stunting at every phase of life," he said.

On this occasion, Bakri also asked village officials, village midwives, and nutrition officers at the Puskesmas to work together with cadres to trace and find babies and toddlers with the potential for stunting. So that the resulting data quality.

Apart from that, Bakri also instructed the Camats to facilitate and coordinate the villages under them. Ensure that activities to reduce and prevent stunting can be managed with village transfer funds through five basic service packages.

"These services are maternal and child health (MCH), integrated nutritional counseling, social protection, sanitation and clean water as well as early childhood education services," he said.

Not only that, continued Bakri, he hoped that there would be active participation from the community and related agencies so that they would not stop socializing, especially for residents who have toddlers so that they regularly weigh their children.

"Each 'stakeholder' can take on its role to work together to accelerate the reduction of the disease which is often called failure to thrive," said Bakri Siddiq.