BKKBN: Preventing Stunting Is A Religious Order

RAN PASTI in Aceh/Photo: VOI

BANDA ACEH - Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province deserves to apply "high level of vigilance" to the problem of stunting. Aceh is one of the 12 priority provinces that have the highest prevalence of stunting in the country in 2022. Based on the 2021 Indonesian Nutrition Status Study (SSGI) data, 13 regions in Aceh are included in 76 districts/cities in the “red” category among 246 districts/cities in 12 priority provinces in the country that have a high prevalence of stunting. The red status is assigned to areas that have a stunting prevalence above the 30 percent range.

Even Gayo Lues, Subulussalam City and Bener Meriah have prevalences above 40 percent. Gayo Lues with a prevalence of 42.9 percent is even entrenched in 7th place at the national level

Other areas with high stunting rates and red status are Pidie, North Aceh, East Aceh, Central Aceh, Southeast Aceh, Aceh Jaya, Southwest Aceh, Nagan Raya, Aceh Besar and Aceh Tamiang. Pidie has almost doubled the prevalence rate tolerated by the World Health Organization or WHO, which is 39.3 percent

The 10 districts and cities with “yellow” status with a prevalence of 20 to 30 percent, in order from those with the highest to lowest prevalence include Aceh Singkil, Pidei Jaya, West Aceh, Lhokseumawe City, South Aceh, Simeuleu, Langsa City, Bireuen, Sabang City and Banda Aceh City. In fact, Aceh Singkil with a prevalence of 29.6 percent and Pidie Jaya with 29.4 percent are "almost" in the red category.

There is not a single district or city in Aceh that has “green” and “blue” status, with green having a prevalence of 10 to 20 percent and blue for a prevalence below 10 percent. Only Banda Aceh City has the lowest prevalence rate of all regions in Aceh with a prevalence of 23.4 percent.

In order to comply with the national target of reducing the stunting rate of 14 percent, the rate of stunting reduction per year must be in the range of 3.4 percent. By looking at the actual conditions that are currently happening, the Provincial Government of Nanggroe Aceh Darussaalam is "billed" for its commitment in 2024 so that no districts and cities in the area have "red" status.

Whereas stunting is a condition of growth and development failure experienced by children due to lack of nutritional intake for a long time, repeated infections, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation, especially in the first 1,000 days of life.

Stunting is characterized by growth that is not optimal according to age. Children who are classified as stunted are usually short, although short, they are not necessarily stunted and have intelligence disorders. The problem of stunting will cause the welfare gap to get worse and even stunting can cause sustainable intergenerational poverty.

In addition, stunting can increase the risk of brain damage and trigger the sufferer to develop metabolic diseases such as diabetes and heart-related diseases in the child's adulthood.

With the threat of health and intelligence, the generation affected by stunting will experience various problems in facing the increasingly diverse challenges of life in the future.

Losses Due to Stunting Reaches IDR 450 trillion a year

When opening the National Working Meeting for the Family Development, Population and Family Planning Program or the Proud Kencana Program in Jakarta, 22 March 2022, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said that stunting losses could reach 2 to 3 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually. . If Indonesia's GDP in 2020 is Rp. 15 thousand trillion, the potential loss due to stunting will reach Rp. 450 trillion.

"I hope the stunting problem is our problem together. The government will not succeed in accelerating stunting reduction if it is not supported by the participation of all components of society. The role of the millennial generation in Aceh is actually the key to active involvement. Students must become students who are sure or care about stunting,” said the Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) DR (HC) dr. Hasto Wardoyo, Sp. OG(K).

According to Hasto Wardoyo, the existence of 169 universities consisting of 15 universities, 6 institutes, 6 polytechnics, 84 high schools and 58 academies throughout Aceh is a gift that should not be wasted. Stunting Concerned Students can conduct research and Real Work Lectures (KKN) in Family Planning (KB) villages in the Independent Learning Campus Independent Program which is equivalent to 20 Semester Credit Units (SKS).

When launching the Mentoring, Counseling and Health Checkup Program in the Three Months of Pre-Marriage as an Effort to Prevent Stunting from Upstream to Bride and Groom Candidates in Bantul, Yogyakarta Special Region, last Friday (11 March 2022), Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas called stunting prevention a religious order. Preparing the best generation is the treatise of nubuwwah. So because this is a religious order, it is obligatory to pay collective attention to the reduction of stunting in Indonesia, including in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

Mayor of Langsa Usman Abdullah, SE ensured that the direction from the BKKBN to accelerate stunting reduction would be carried out in his area. “Since the beginning of my tenure, I have always been committed to strengthening community empowerment programs, including health issues. The decline in stunting in Langsa is the focus of my attention, and thank God Langsa has been categorized as yellow at a stunting prevalence rate of 25.5 percent and I am targeting to decrease it again next year and the following years. No more stunting children in Langsa. Finishing stunting is our hablum minnanas for the ummah,” said Mayor of Langsa Usman Abdullah, SE.

Funds for Accelerating Stunting Reduction Are Available

To ensure a shared commitment to accelerating stunting reduction, the BKKBN held a Socialization of the National Action Plan for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction (RAN PASTI) in Banda Aceh on Wednesday (16 March 2022).

The BKKBN, which was entrusted by President Joko Widodo as the chief executive of the acceleration of stunting reduction in accordance with Presidential Regulation No. 72/2021, through the Socialization of RAN PASTI provided an explanation of the working mechanism for accelerating stunting reduction at the provincial, district and city and village levels. The formation of the Team for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction throughout Aceh “must” be completed immediately in March 2022 so that the funds that have been allocated can be absorbed optimally and on target.

The RAN PASTI socialization also discussed monitoring, reporting and evaluation. And last but not least, the stunting “funding” scenario in the regions was also socialized. The stunting reduction indicator will be one of the parameters for the success of regional heads in prospering their citizens and promoting regional development progress.

The RAN PASTI socialization presented speakers from the BKKBN as well as the Deputy Chairpersons of the Central Stunting Reduction Acceleration Team (TPPS) from the elements of the Vice President's Secretariat, the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Health.