Prevent Stunting, Ganjar Pranowo Asks Girls To Pay Attention

Ganjar Ptano accompanied Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and Head of BKKBN Hasto Wardoyo during a stunting prevention event in Grobogan. (IST)

GROBOGAN - Governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo, highlighted the importance of good marriage and pregnancy preparations to prevent stunting. One of the focuses is attention to young women.

This statement was made by Ganjar after attending the Nationality Tausiyah of the Universe Movement to Prevent Stunting in Grobogan Regency on Tuesday, May 23.

The activity was attended by Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, Regent of Grobogan Sri Sumarni, Member of Commission IX DPR RI Edy Wuryanto, and Head of BKKBN Hasto Wardoyo.

"The direction of the Coordinating Minister that we get is important for young women not to get married at an early age. If a teenage girl does not get married at an early age, the potential for stunting can be prevented," said Ganjar.

In addition to providing education to prevent early marriage, Ganjar Pranowo emphasized the importance of paying attention to the health of young women, including giving vitamin to add blood. "Women's youth also needs attention, usually given blood-boosting vitamins," he added.

These efforts continue until young women reach a mature age, get married, get pregnant, give birth, and breastfeed. Ganjar said that these efforts had been effectively carried out through the Central Java Gayeng Nginceng Wong Meteng program.

"After getting married, it is important to pay attention to the health of prospective brides and grooms, and ensure their age is quite mature. Thus, we can prevent child marriage. During pregnancy, routine examinations must be carried out," he said.

Ganjar explained that through the Central Java Gayeng Nginceng Wong Meteng Program, the health conditions of the mother and baby that are carried out are very much considered. Pregnant women are required to undergo routine examinations. If pregnant women are malnourished, intervention will be carried out immediately.

In addition, Ganjar added that stunting management is also carried out in an integrated manner by solving extreme poverty. "We can implement it simultaneously. Currently, we are handling extreme poverty, and this is going well," he explained.

On that occasion, Ganjar also invited students, midwives, and other health workers to have a dialogue. "At the time of pregnancy, pay close attention, make sure birth runs safely, so that maternal and baby mortality rates can be prevented. This approach is holistic. This is what we are doing through the Central Java Gayeng Nginceng Wong Meteng Program." According to data from the Listing and Reporting of Community-Based Nutrition (ePPGBM), in 2018 the stunting rate in Central Java reached 24.4 percent. A year later, in 2019, the figure managed to drop to 18.3 percent. In the same period, there was a significant decrease in stunting rate of 14.5 percent in 2020. In 2021, the stunting rate continued to decline to 12.8 percent, and in 2022 it reached 11.9 percent.

The latest data shows that efforts made in Central Java have provided positive results in reducing stunting rates significantly. In the last four years, the stunting rate in Central Java has succeeded in a drastic decline of 51 percent. This achievement makes the Central Java Provincial Government program under the leadership of Governor Ganjar Pranowo as a national reference.