Minister Of Health Budi Optimistic Target Of 14 Percent Reduction In Stunting To Be Achieved In 2024

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi (Photo: KPCPEN doc via covid19.go.id)

JAKARTA - Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the acceleration of stunting reduction in Indonesia has been and will continue to be carried out until it is no longer a public health problem in this country.

The Ministry of Health is optimistic that the 14 percent target in 2024 will be achieved through optimizing the coverage of evidence-based interventions.

"In the health sector, stunting reduction is carried out through specific interventions aimed at target groups including teenagers, brides-to-be, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers," said Minister of Health Budi at the National Coordination Meeting for the Virtual Stunting Reduction in Action to Accelerate Stunting Reduction, Monday, August 23.

The Minister of Health continued, with the implementation of programs focused on strengthening services and nutrition, they were carried out in a structured and tiered manner at all service levels. Starting from Integrated Healthcare Center to hospitals and strengthened with stakeholder support.

Efforts for specific strengthening are carried out by prioritizing strategies to increase occupation by 90 percent through increasing human resources, improving program quality, strengthening health and nutrition education, and strengthening intervention management at Public Health Center and Integrated Healthcare Center which are comprehensively arranged in a sustainable surveillance system.

"The current state of the COVID-19 pandemic also adds to the challenges of various arrangements, but various strategic efforts to minimize the impact continue to be carried out with health protocols," he said.

As a stakeholder, the Minister of Health invites all to contribute optimally to continue to strengthen specific interventions in a coordinated manner with optimism and joint hard work to achieve maximum targets.

"We are sure that it will have a significant impact on reducing stunting in Indonesia as proof of our seriousness in saving the nation," said Budi.