Stunting Rates In Medan Drop To 364 Toddlers, Mayor Bobby Asks For Handling Acceleration

Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution (left) with the Mayor Aulia Rachman. (Antara)

MEDAN - The Medan Mayor (Walkot) Bobby Nasution asked for acceleration to be carried out for the treatment of stunting in babies under five years old in Medan.

"I ask that the handling of the problem of stunting is not monotonous," said Bobby in Medan, North Sumatra Province (North Sumatra), Friday, January 20, as reported by Antara.

Even though the Medan City Government (Pemkot) has intervened through many programs, he continued, the problem of stunting is still present in the capital city of North Sumatra Province.

Bobby said that this year the related regional apparatus did not provide ultra-processed food, such as biscuits according to President Jokowi's direction because it did not have an impact on overcoming stunting.

Data from the Medan City Population and Family Planning Office for October 2022 shows that the number of stunted sufferers has decreased by 364 children under five from 550 children under five in February 2022.

"In exchange, it can provide laying hens for families affected by stunting and families prone to stunting to raise," he said.

These flavored chicken eggs can be consumed and sold to supplement income, because one of the causes of stunting is due to economic factors, said Bobby.

Bobby also instructed all sub-district heads in Medan City to intervene in the handling of stunting in their respective areas.

It is known that last year's Mayor Bobby required all echelon II and III officials as well as 21 sub-district heads to become foster fathers of stunting children in Medan City.

The foster father program for stunting children is obliged to provide nutrition assistance in the form of cash in the amount of IDR 500,000 every month for the next six months to children with stunting.

"Including using village funds to overcome chronic nutritional problems due to lack of nutrition in the long term, so that the child's growth is disrupted," said Bobby.