Stuntng Numbers Increase In West Sulawesi, Papua, NTB And East Kalimantan, Vice President Asks For Special Handling

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin/Screenshot

JAKARTA - Vice President (Vice President) Ma'ruf Amin asked for the success of a number of districts in reducing stunting or stunting by quite high being replicated or being an example for other regions.

"So there are several districts that are unusually high (reducing) that we should model, yes, we replicate," said the Vice President at the Ministerial Level Meeting to Accelerate Stunting Reduction (PPS) Quarter I for Fiscal Year 2023, at the Vice Presidential Palace, Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Thursday, May 25.

Ma'ruf Amin said several districts that were able to reduce stunting were quite high, including Pidie Regency (11.5 percent), Nagan Raya (13.8 percent), Mandailing Natal (13.5 percent), Simalungun (10.6 percent), Langkat (12.9 percent), Fakfak (10 percent), West Nias (11 percent), South Lampung (15.9 percent), and Solok (15.9 percent).

"There are also areas with a decent decline, namely South Sumatra with six percent, South Kalimantan with six percent, and North Kalimantan with five percent," said the Vice President.

Meanwhile, for areas whose stunting rates have actually increased, such as West Sulawesi, Papua, West Papua, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), and East Kalimantan (Kaltim), the Vice President asked for special attention.

"This may require special attention," he said.

The Vice President emphasized the importance of budget allocations in a targeted manner for the program to accelerate stunting reduction so that the target for stunting rate of 14 percent in 2024 is achieved.

"Because this is a priority issue and the President himself has said that it is 14 percent. So, this must be achieved. Therefore, by all means, one of them is that the budget must be right on target," said the Vice President.

In addition, the Vice President encourages efforts to involve private roles in accelerating stunting reduction.

"From the report of the Coordinating Minister (PMK), there are many mining and plantation areas where there are relatively many rich entrepreneurs, but the stunting is high. There must be steps other than what has been taken. If necessary, the President will give an appeal because the time is only 2 years. There must be ashort cut, "he explained.

The government continues to strive to reduce prevalence of stunting according to the target to 14 percent by 2024.

The number of stunting in 2022 is 21.6 percent. This means that the government needs to reduce the stunting rate by at least 7.6 percent in less than two years.