Kemendikbudristek Private To Reduce Stunting

Illustration/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology and PT. PT Abbott Products Indonesia (Abbott) signed a Cooperation Agreement on Support for Health and Nutrition Education Programs in Efforts to Reduce Stunting in Indonesia. stunting cases," said Director of Early Childhood Education Muhammad Hasbi in an official statement, Thursday, June 23. Both parties agreed to support the Government's agenda through active contributions in accelerating the reduction of stunting prevalence in Indonesia through education about the importance of measuring children's height regularly. The Abbot-Kemendikbudristek partnership will run for the next one year, until December 2023. The collaboration aims to increase awareness of the importance of regular growth and development measurements, appropriate nutrition interventions, and empowerment of PAUD institutions. and references for other sectors and companies so that together with the government they work hand in hand to face various problems that exist in Indonesia. Early childhood development and development has a big influence on their next life. Early Childhood Education Institutions (PAUD) have a strategic role in preventing, mitigating, and handling cases of stunting under five through regular measurement of children's height. In addition, PAUD is also a forum for the implementation of play-learning activities that provide psychosocial stimulation and age-appropriate development. become a node for health and nutrition services, as well as a forum for learning about parenting and child development.

The scope of the Kemendikbudristek and Abbott Cooperation Agreement includes socializing the importance of the School Health Unit (UKS); Integrative Holistic Early Childhood Development (PAUD HI), including nutrition, child psychosocial stimulation as stunting mitigation, clean and healthy living behavior, nutrition improvement, and health improvement. The target of the activity is parents, PAUD educators, and PAUD mothers. To support mitigation efforts, this private sector has distributed WHO-standard height measuring devices to more than 200,000 parents since 2019 and has been proven to increase awareness regarding the status of children's growth and development. This year , in the framework of cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture, the brand of this private company will distribute a height and weight measuring device (stadiometer) for PAUD units as well as 180,000 growth charts according to WHO standards with a wider coverage area. Stunting, which causes a child to be short when compared to their peers, it can be prevented and detected through periodic height measurements, for further intervention through the provision of proper nutrition and stimulation. “Children's growth and development can be measured. Therefore, improving the quality and competence of PAUD educators is very necessary considering they need to be nutritionally sensitive and able to encourage stimulation. PAUD teachers need to measure student height regularly, have good insight into nutrition, parenting, and sanitation," said Hasbi. This program reaches 250 PAUD in all provinces in Java, Bali, cities in North Sumatra, NTB, NTT, North Sulawesi, and Maluku.