Heru Budi Calls 36 Thousand Toddlers In Jakarta Experiencing Nutrition Problems

Minister of Health Budi Sadikin and Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi (Photo: Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - Acting Governor of DKI Jakarta Heru Budi Hartono said as many as 36 thousand toddlers in the capital are experiencing nutritional problems. This figure was recorded after the examination of 250 thousand toddlers in Jakarta. Heru conveyed this data after holding a leadership meeting with Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin and the ranks of the DKI Provincial Government. "What is now weighing 250 thousand. Toddlers in Jakarta who have nutritional problems are 36 thousand. We discussed that approximately," said Heru at the City Hall of DKI Jakarta, Monday, July 24. Heru admitted that the number of toddlers with real nutrition has not been recorded by the DKI Provincial Government. Because, based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of toddlers in the capital city reached 798,107 people. Therefore, Heru asked Budi for help to provide directions regarding improving the nutrition of Jakarta children in order to intervene in reducing stunting rates. Continuing, Budi Gunadi said that the openness of problematic nutrition data collection by local governments is needed in reducing stunting rates. The DKI Provincial Government, according to Budi, Jakarta is an area that has implemented this openness aspect. "We agreed that the data was made transparent and the balance was carried out for all toddlers, which as previously there were 798 thousand, now 250 thousand (which have been weighed). That's a lot of areas that haven't balanced all. DKI Jakarta is the most committed and most ready to be able to weigh it all," explained Budi. Handling it, Budi has asked the DKI Provincial Government to ensure that children who are recorded to be malnourished get healthy food intake for the sake of improving their nutrition. "The most difficult thing, I told the Governor, it ensures animal protein food enters the toddler's mouth. That's the most difficult thing, that's how to take care of it, make sure it is," explained Budi. Budi views that this intervention needs to involve the role of the community. To Budi, Heru ensured that the DKI Provincial Government could include foster parent programs to companies to support the nutritional intake of these toddlers. "We are making a program, namely the healthy movement of children, later we will open foster parents who want to help and foster companies that can help. The governor said 'if there, I am very powerful, I just told them to help'. So, it should be possible to get well," said Budi.

On the one hand, Budi is not worried about funding the DKI Provincial Government's stunting reduction intervention program. This is because Jakarta is the area with the highest budget. "Because DKI is a rich province, not assisted by me. The Ministry of Finance does not give it if for example it has entered a rich area," he added.