Minister Of Health Budi: Toddler Nutrition Problems In Indonesia Are Still High

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin/Antara

JAKARTA - Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the problem of nutrition in children under five in Indonesia is still quite high and is a homework for the whole world that needs to be solved.

Global Nutrition Report' data in 2018 reported as many as 22.2 percent of toddlers experiencing stunting, around 7.5 percent of underweight toddlers, and 5.6 percent of obese toddlers worldwide.

"In Indonesia, based on basic health research data in 2018, the number of stunted toddlers is 30.8 percent, 10.2 percent thin, and 8 percent fat. The Peak Day of World Breastfeeding Week 2021 with the theme Breastfeeding Protection: Shared Responsibility, launched by Antara, Wednesday, August 25.

According to Budi, the problem of malnutrition in children begins with weight loss. Studies show weight loss generally occurs when the baby is three to four months old when the mother returns to work and is not optimal when giving breast milk (ASI).

"Breastfeeding is one of the best investments for survival and improving the health, social and economic development of individuals and the nation. Optimal breastfeeding can prevent more than 823,000 child deaths and 20 thousand maternal deaths every year," said Budi.

Mothers who do not exclusively breastfeed will have a 2.6 times higher risk for their child to be stunted at 0 to 6 months of age and twice as much at 6 to 23 months of age. For this reason, Budi advises breastfeeding mothers who are exposed to COVID-19 to continue breastfeeding their babies because COVID-19 cannot be transmitted through breast milk.

"Breastfeeding mothers are advised not to be afraid of being vaccinated because antibodies can be detected in breast milk and have the potential to increase the baby's immunity to COVID-19," he said. Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy reminded that breastfeeding protection is a shared responsibility considering that successful breastfeeding is not a responsibility. only a mother, but also the support of all parties from husbands, health workers, workplaces, and the government.

"Breast milk is the best nutrition for babies aged 0 to 6 months. Breast milk can protect children from various diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia. In addition, children who are breastfed have better intelligence, are far from obesity and are not susceptible to disease," he said.

Muhadjir said Indonesia was ranked 115th out of 151 countries in the world with cases of stunting. The national stunting rate is still 27.7 percent.

Muhadjir said that in the last three years, the number of infants aged 0-6 months who were exclusively breastfed fell from 68.7 percent in 2018 to 65.8 percent in 2019. In 2020, it fell to 53.9 percent.

"Because optimal breastfeeding practices according to recommendations can prevent more than 823 thousand child deaths and 20 thousand maternal deaths every year," he said