Cooperating With UNICEF, Manokwari Health Office Integrates Malnutrition Preventing Services At 5 Health Centers

WEST PAPUA - Manokwari Health Office (Dinkes) in West Papua strengthens its commitment to handling malnutrition by relaxing the integrated malnutrition management program (PGBT) at five health centers.

Acting Head of the Manokwari Health Office, Marthen Rantetampang, said the government cooperated with UNICEF and its partners with the Papua Education and Health Development Foundation (YP2KP) to run the program.

"The five health centers, namely, the Amban Health Center, Sanggeng Health Center, Wosi Health Center, Prafi Health Center, and Masni Health Center can be more committed to carrying out the malnutrition program in Manokwari district," said Marthen in Manokwari, Friday, August 18, confiscated by Antara.

He explained that integrated malnutrition management is part of the stunting prevention intervention. So that the parties involved need to be improved in service quality so that the treatment of malnutrition in Manokwari can be maximized.

"Improving the quality of service and increasing cross-sectoral and program cooperation, as well as community involvement are needed to overcome the problem of malnutrition in toddlers," he said.

According to his calculation, Marthen explained, there are 81,000 children in Manokwari who must be recorded and intervened to find out the exact number of poor nutrition children to stunting. Of that number, ideally 80 percent was recorded and recorded. However, currently only 4000 are recorded.

"Based on this problem, it is deemed necessary to develop integrated malnutrition treatment, both from strengthening government policies, strengthening services and community participation," he said.

Marthen explained, in the long term, malnourished children can cause growth failure or so-called stunting. The problem of the low public awareness of the fulfillment of family nutrition is the focus of the PGBT program.

"I would like to thank the PKK mobilizing team and representatives of the five health centers that attended. I hope that next year more and more health centers in Manokwari Regency will implement the PGBT program," he said.

UNICEF Papua and West Papua Nutrition Staff, Dwi Kristanto, explained that cases of malnutrition toddlers were still found in both primary health facilities, referral health facilities and in the community. Malnutrition is prone to disease due to decreased endurance.

Therefore, all health facilities must be able to provide comprehensive nutrition services for toddlers. Comprehensive services require involvement from medical care, care care and nutrition care, so it is hoped that every health facility will be able to carry out these three treatments," he said.

Dwi said that the refreshment of the PGBT program is one of the efforts to ensure that the service for handling malnutrition can still be carried out with an approach to community involvement, through existing health cadres, monitoring together with villages and health centers.

"It is hoped that participants will understand the policies of prevention and malnutrition management in toddlers, be able to make early findings and confirm cases of malnutrition in toddlers and be able to manage integrated efforts to overcome malnutrition in toddlers," he said.