Coordinating Minister Muhajir Calls The Importance Of Community Involvement In Stunting Prevention

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy. (ANTARA)

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy reminded the importance of community involvement as the main key in efforts to prevent and reduce stunting prevalence.

"Public involvement is the main key in preventing stunting," said Muhadjir Effendy in his statement quoted by ANTARA in Jakarta, Sunday, March 5.

Muhadjir gave an example, the application of mutual cooperation practices and the use of local wisdom in the community can support the government's target of reducing stunting prevalence to 14 percent in 2024.

Muhadjir also appreciated a number of local governments that have implemented mutual cooperation and local wisdom in stunting reduction programs in their respective regions.

One example, he said, is the efforts made by the Government of Bireun Regency, Aceh, in reducing the stunting prevalence rate from 32.88 percent in 2020 to 23.4 percent in 2022.

"We give high appreciation to the Bireuen Regency Government and community leaders in an effort to reduce stunting. This program can be a pilot," he said.

The Coordinating Minister added that the Bireun Regency Government had implemented mutual cooperation, local wisdom, and carried out various innovations as a form of concrete steps to prevent and reduce stunting.

Meanwhile, the Acting Regent of Bireuen Aulia Sofyan said that based on data from Riskesdas, Bireun was designated as stunting locus district in 2020. Through various interventions carried out, his party succeeded in reducing the stunting rate.

Head of the Bireuen District Health Office, Irwan A Ganni, added that his party involved the community in handling stunting.

"For example, if there is a family whose wife is pregnant, the villagers will provide treatment for pregnant women from the first to the seventh months. Especially for those whose economic conditions are not good. The health of pregnant women is a joint work for all villagers," he said.

His party also established the Gampong Nutrition House, a forum for village and community apparatus associations that harmonizes all stunting management efforts ranging from providing nutritious food to health education.

"Another intervention that has been carried out is the provision of blood-added tablets for young women and routine examinations of hemoglobin levels for pregnant women," he said.