Jokowi: Don't Give Instant Holidays, Give Baby Telor To Ati Ayam To Prevent Stunting

Photo by Tanaphong Toochinda on Unsplash

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) advised regional heads to intervene in preventing stunting. The trick, posyandu or puskesmas should not provide biscuits and instant porridge to the baby.

"I remind you that during critical intervention, intervention should not be given food called 'ultraprocess', biscuits, instant porridge, be careful. This is a lot done, this is a mistake, you know," said President Jokowi when opening the Regional Head Coordination Meeting and Communication Forum. Regional Leaderships throughout Indonesia which aired virtually, Tuesday, January 17, quoted from Antara.

The President explained that the importance of providing animal protein that contains high iron to babies, even before the baby is born.

The Head of State detailed that 23 percent of stunting contributors came when babies had not been born, so he reminded regional heads and BKKBN to continue to emphasize nutrition in pregnant women and ensure they did not experience anemia due to lack of iron.

Then, 37 percent of stunting contributors come when the baby is born with up to two years of age.

He asked posyandu and puskesmas to actively assist prospective mothers and mothers who have toddlers regarding the provision of exclusive breast milk (ASI) for 6 months.

If the baby is indicated to be stunted, President Jokowi emphasized not to provide biscuits and instant porridge as a complementary food for breast milk.

"With chickens, egg, rice, we have to understand this. If we don't understand, how can we intervene. Once again, natural food will get better," said Jokowi.

The President targets the number of stunting babies to be below 14 percent by 2024, a significant drop from 2014 by 37 percent, then 24 percent by 2021 and an estimate of 21 percent by 2022.

According to Jokowi, stunting is a target for completion for human resource development in Indonesia, considering that the demographic bonus will be enjoyed by the state at its peak in 2035.

"If our human resources are not in this position (the brain capability) is good, so it has good productivity, be careful. Not the profits we get, but yes it will give a big burden to the state," said Jokowi.