Jokowi Praises Central Bengkulu Puskesmas Innovation In Pressing Stunting Cases Through Eel-Nugget

President Joko Widodo visits the Srikuncoro Health Center in Central Bengkulu Regency, Bengkulu Province, Thursday (20/7/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat/Rusman)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo wants the managers of puskesmas (Public Health Center) to innovate in order to reduce the number of stunting cases in their respective work areas.

While visiting the Srikuncoro Health Center in Central Bengkulu Regency, President Jokowi appreciated the innovation of the puskesmas in processing eel and cassava into nutritious additional food for children.

"It provides high protein, eel nuggets are really good, I can see they are really good. I think the innovations in areas like this that we have seen are very good at accelerating the reduction of stunting in all provinces, regencies, and cities," he said as quoted by Antara from a press release from the Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat, Thursday, 20 July.

Jokowi also appreciated the success of the Bengkulu Provincial Government in reducing the prevalence of stunting in children to 18 percent from 22 percent.

"I am pleased that in Bengkulu Province there is a very good decrease, from 22 (percent) to 18 (percent). This means that in Bengkulu Province, it is below the national average," he said.

"We hope that later in 2024 it can drop below 14 (percent)," he added.

The prevalence of stunting in children in Indonesia has fallen from 24.4 percent in 2021 to 21.6 percent in 2022. The government is targeting the number of cases of stunting to drop to 14 percent in 2024.

The President asked all local governments to increase the provision of nutritional supplementary food to prevent children from experiencing stunting, a condition where children fail to thrive due to chronic malnutrition, recurrent infections, and lack of stimulation.

"I also see (here) that not many are stunted and continue to be given injections of good nutrition, and this is what I want all provinces to do the same," he said.

"Public participation, private participation, private donations are used for stunting, I think it's good," Jokowi added.