BKKBN: South Central Timor's Stunting Rate Is Highest In NTT

Head of BKKBN dr. Hasto Wardoyo, Sp.OG (K)/Photo: VOI

JAKARTA - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) stated that the prevalence rate of stunting in Timor Tengah Selatan Regency was the highest in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) at 48.3 percent.

"For President Jokowi, NTT is always in the heart and the BKKBN ensures that the mandate from the President to accelerate stunting reduction remains on the right track," said Head of BKKBN Hasto Wardoyo in a written statement, Wednesday, March 23.

Hasto said the prevalence rate of 48.3 percent in Timor Tengah Selatan Regency can be seen through the data from the 2021 Indonesian Nutrition Status Study (SSGI).

That is, there are at least 48 toddlers who experience stunting among the 100 toddlers there. Even nationally, the district is ranked first for stunting prevalence among 246 districts/cities in 12 priority provinces.

In the 2021 SSGI, it is also stated that as many as 15 districts/cities in NTT are in the red category or have a stunting prevalence rate of more than 30 percent.

Meanwhile, the other seven regencies/cities are categorized as yellow with a prevalence of 20 to 30 percent.

On the other hand, data belonging to the South Central Timor Regency Government in 2020 revealed that there were 37,320 extreme poor people out of a total of 455,410 inhabitants.

Meanwhile, households that have proper sanitation only reached 60.04 percent or 69.602 households and this is what causes the health problems of the people of South Central Timor to be vulnerable.

According to Hasto, collaboration from all parties is needed to eradicate the problem of stunting in children in Timor Tengah Selatan Regency, as a joint effort to create a superior and quality Indonesian golden generation.

Hasto hopes that the stunting prevalence rate in the district can drop to 43.01 percent by the end of 2022, and can slope to 36.22 percent in 2023.

"Thus, that number in 2024 can reach 29.35 percent," said Hasto.

It was stated that President Joko Widodo would make a working visit to Soe, South Central Timor Regency, NTT on Thursday (24/3) to directly monitor the stunting eradication agenda in the area.