JAKARTA - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) emphasizes the number of children born to a married couple can affect the formation of a quality family, both in terms of health and emotional.
“If a family has many children, only one person works, for example only the father, while others are dependents and cannot work, that is not a demographic bonus. This is actually a demographic disaster," said Head of the BKKBN, Hasto Wardoyo in a written statement, Monday, June 6.
Hasto emphasized that the social conditions were very different from the past. The mindset like "many children, lots of sustenance" is no longer valid and must be stopped in society, because having more than one or two children in a family cannot be called a demographic bonus. Because a demographic bonus can only be achieved if it produces prosperity in the family. This means that the number of productive family members must be more than the unproductive members.
The large number of children is also at risk of widening the potential for stunting in children (stunting). Stunting children experience growth failure due to malnutrition and repeated disease infections due to unsupportive environmental stimulation. This condition has a long-term effect on the elderly.
For example, what happened in Siderang Legok Village, Cintanagara Village, Cigedug District, Garut Regency, West Java which is known as the "Kampung Many Children". In that village, the majority of residents work as seasonal farmers, but an average family has more than 10 children.
As a result, the number of stunted children in that area is quite high, even that area makes the stunting rate in West Java Province more than 24 percent. This percentage of stunting makes West Java in the 12 provinces with the highest prevalence of stunting in Indonesia, due to the large number of children in one family, very close birth spacing and early marriage.
"Data obtained by the BKKBN during the COVID-19 pandemic, early marriage in West Java has increased. Early marriage causes a high risk of maternal and infant mortality as well as stunted babies, due to insufficient nutrition during pregnancy," said Hasto. Thus, Hasto said, what is more needed by families today is to renew the paradigm related to family planning (Family Planning). KB). People need to understand that family planning is not only related to the use of contraceptives, but also family planning and the future of smart, healthy and quality children.
The government is also implementing Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 3 of 2022 concerning Quality Family Villages (KB Villages) as an effort to create independent, peaceful, resilient, healthy and peaceful family units.
"Therefore, I hope that the West Java Provincial Government will continue to maintain its support for non-PNS family planning instructors," he said.
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