Megawati: Women Can Make Indonesia Stunting Free

JAKARTA - PDIP General Chair Megawati Soekarnoputri asked the public, especially women, to have a strong intention to create a golden generation of Indonesia. With high intentions and will, women must go forward to serve the community, move together against the problem of stunting.

"Women have a duty to give birth so that these women become full of responsibility, the Family Planning (KB) program is not to sterilize but to provide good planning, to raise and build children to be smart, healthy, smart physically and mentally, if successful An advanced Indonesia will definitely be achieved," said Megawati in an official statement, Friday, March 18.

The 5th President of the Republic of Indonesia also expressed his dissatisfaction with President Joko Widodo's statement that the stunting rate continues to decline every year. According to Megawati, stunting and anemia should not exist in Indonesia. This was conveyed directly when he was the Keynote Speaker of the Prevent Stunting webinar for the Indonesian Golden Generation.

Meanwhile, PPPA Minister, Bintang Puspayoga, added that one of the issues of early childhood development that is a priority for the government is stunting. According to the study data on the nutritional status of Indonesia in 2021, it shows that of the 34 provinces in Indonesia that got a good category, only the province of Bali.

The decline in stunting in Indonesia for the last eight years, namely 2013-2021, is still at 2.0 percent, especially in 2021, while the stunting rate is 24.4 percent. Whereas the RPJMN target is to decrease by 14 percent or 2.7 percent per year.

“Stunting comes from parenting, poor diet and inadequate sanitation. This results in stunted child growth and development, such as decreased immune function, impaired body metabolism, not optimal brain development that affects mental abilities and poor learning achievement. According to WHO data, one of the causes of stunting is the high number of early marriages which are psychologically immature, including regarding pregnancy and child rearing," said Bintang.

As the Head of the Team for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction, Head of the BKKBN Hasto Wardoyo said that the current condition is that for every 100 people there are still 4 people who are stunted. Stunting is influenced by direct factors, for example slum houses do not have clean water, houses are not clean and stunting is influenced by indirect factors.

“Often sick, lack of nutrition, poor care, that's stunting. Stunting must be short, although not everyone is stunted, not intelligent, easily sickly in their old age. Currently in the era of the demographic bonus, if there are many productive but unproductive ages, it will only become a burden on the state. The opportunity to become a golden, prosperous Indonesia is now, if you can't take advantage of it, the window of opportunity will pass," said Hasto. One of the strategies of the BKKBN in accelerating the reduction of stunting is by inviting brides and grooms to prepare for preconception, conducting a health check 3 months before marriage, and having a family companion team (consisting of Midwives, PKK, Cadre) of 200 thousand teams spread throughout the village.

Deputy for the fulfillment of children's rights at the PPPA Ministry, Agustina Erni, added that her party was coordinating with the government from the district to village levels regarding the women-friendly village program that cares for stunting-free children.

To prevent stunting in children, the fulfillment of nutritional needs is an absolute thing and can be met with healthy and nutritious food. Chef Handry invites mothers to change the mindset that healthy food must be expensive. Cuisine can be processed according to available funds, and start empowering local food ingredients. He emphasized the idea that must always be maintained so that nutritional intake can be fulfilled.

This webinar activity was moderated by the Chief Editor of the Central Java Tribune, Erwin Ardian, who assessed that the fight against stunting is an important task for every citizen, including the media, to be able to realize the golden generation of Indonesia.