16 Regional Apparatus Organizations In Jember "Keroyokan" Handling Stunting

Illustration of children in hospital treatment

JEMBER - The Jember Regency Government in East Java Province formed a stunting reduction task force, maternal and infant mortality rates, and extreme poverty which included representatives from 16 regional apparatus organizations (OPD).

"The number of task force personnel is 40 out of 16 OPD, who will serve until the end of 2023," said Jember Regent Hendy Siswanto as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, February 7.

He said that the expert team would direct the personnel of the task force based at Pendapa Wahyawibagraha Jember in carrying out efforts to reduce stunting, maternal mortality (AKI) and infant mortality (AKB), as well as extreme poverty.

According to him, the first task force is the success of Weigh Moon activities and the provision of Vitamin A to children under five which is targeted to be completed by the end of February 2023.

"You all have to understand what stunting means, what is the risk of stunting, so there must be a benchmark. Good practices in measuring babies must also be understood," he said.

He said that data from the activity of balancing the body and measuring the growth of children under five would be used as a basis for formulating stunting management policies.

"From the program, it will produce the latest data to be followed up with policy formulation and further steps in the context of preventing stunting, AKI-AKB, and extreme poverty," he said.

"I will later ask for a report on reducing stunting which is presented in total, not the percentage anymore. The number of toddlers, how much can the budget reduce, then what kind of treatment act", he added.

According to data from the 2022 Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI), the prevalence of stunting toddlers in Jember Regency reached 34.9 percent, the highest in East Java Province.

Meanwhile, data from the Jember District Health Office shows that the prevalence of stunting toddlers, which in 2021 recorded 11.74 percent, has decreased to 7.37 percent in 2022.