Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution Affirms All Local Government Agencies Must Tackle Stunting

Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution (second left) gives a statement on the handling of stunting at the Medan City DPRD Building, Monday (30/5/2022). (ANTARA/HO-Diskominfo Medan City)

MEDAN - Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution emphasized that all Local Government Agencies within Medan City Government must be involved in accelerating the prevention of stunting for children under five years of age.

"Tackling stunting cannot be piecemeal. We held a meeting at that time, there were no more Local Government Agencies who thought they were not directly related to stunting," said Bobby, quoted by Antara, Monday, May 30.

He emphasized this following the increase in stunting rates for children under five years (toddlers) in the weighing month of February 2022 as many as 555 toddlers in this area.

All Local Government Agencies within the Medan City Government, he explained, have a direct connection with the handling of stunting, such as the Medan City Settlement and Spatial Planning Department.

"For example, what does the Perkim Office have to do with stunting? The place to live must be decent. Next, what do the SME Cooperatives Service have to do with stunting? Because the economy is weak, the economy is low," he said.

Therefore, the Medan City Government is planning to announce that parents whose children are registered stunting must receive assistance from the Medan City UKM Cooperatives Office to get business assistance.

Bobby Nasution also mentioned that it is not only financial assistance, but business assistance so that the family economy can improve, so that there is a movement in the economy of households whose children suffer from stunting.

"This is one way for us to deal with stunting in the long term, and not only in the short term. We also need to solve economic problems," said Bobby.

"The most important thing is handling the first 1,000 days of life, and economic empowerment by families who are potentially affected by stunting," said the Mayor of Medan.