Month: April 2022

The Home Affairs Ministry has urged the West Nusa Tenggara government to push for the handling of stunting, citing 2021 data from the Health Ministry, which pegs stunting prevalence in the region at 31.4 percent.

The Family Welfare Empowerment and Integrated Service Posts (Posyandu) have an important role in addressing stunting,Director General of Regional Development at the Home Affairs Ministry Teguh Setyabudi noted in a written statement received in Mataram on Friday.

“It is necessary to optimize the role of the Family Welfare Empowerment and Integrated Service Posts in reducing this stunting rate,” he said at the opening of the 2023 NTB Regional Government Work Plan Discussion.

There must be a collaborative effort by both institutions since their work programs mostly target the community at a basic level, he said.

For example, the Family Welfare Empowerment Post implements programs such as the utilization of house yards to increase food security for families, promotion of food whose ingredients are sourced locally, and home renovation activities to create livable houses, in collaboration with the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, among others.

Meanwhile, the Integrated Service Post runs healthcare programs for mothers, babies, and toddlers; healthcare programs for school-age children and adolescents; healthcare programs for members of the productive age group; healthcare programs for the elderly people; and programs for the improvement of community nutrition; among others.

Setyabudi’s administration is also urging West Nusa Tenggara to reduce extreme poverty, in view of the number of extremely poor people reaching 284 thousand.

Extreme poverty is measured using absolute poverty measures that are consistent across countries and across time. Extreme poverty is defined as a condition in which people’s income is below the extreme poverty line, that is equivalent to US$1.9 a day in purchasing power parity terms.

On a national scale, the extreme poverty rate in 2021 was 4 percent, or 10,865,279 people.

Setyabudi reiterated President Joko Widodo’s directive to push for a zero percent extreme poverty rate by 2024, which was issued during a meeting on July 21, 2021.

He also listed the realization of macro indicators in West Nusa Tenggara, under which economic growth has increased from -0.640 percent in 2020 to 2.3 percent in 2021.

The percentage of poor people in West Nusa Tenggara has declined. In 2021, the poverty rate was 13.83 percent, while in 2020, it was capped at 14.23 percent. However, the region’s poverty rate is still above the national level.

West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zulkieflimansyah said his administration had ‘by name by address’ data at each Integrated Service Post throughout the region.Thus, in 2021, the stunting rate in the region reached 19 percent, he added.

Source: Antara News

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia was the result of negotiations between the two countries spanning six years, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi stated.

The MoU was officially signed by Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah and Malaysian Human Resources Minister Saravanan Murugan and witnessed by President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob at the Merdeka Palace here on Friday.

“Why is this MoU so important? This MoU has been negotiated since six years, and with this MoU, we expect that the protection of Indonesian migrant workers working in the domestic sector in Malaysia can be (optimized),” Minister Retno Marsudi noted in an interview after the event, broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s official YouTube channel on Friday.

She accompanied President Jokowi while welcoming Prime Minister Yaakob and his delegation during a visit to the Merdeka Palace.

The MoU signed this time regulates the implementation of a one channel system for the entire process of placing, monitoring, and sending back Malaysia’s domestic sector migrant workers.

“Hence, we also expect that the bad cases that plague Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia can be drastically reduced,” Minister Retno Marsudi stated.

The foreign minister also explained that this MoU was a good start for the Indonesia-Malaysia cooperation to continue to bolster the commitment to providing equal protection to all Indonesian migrant workers employed in several other sectors.

The foreign affairs minister emphasized that the MoU carries the best interests of both countries, considering the fact that Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia had contributed greatly to the economy of Malaysia.

Based on reports from the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, in 2021, some 206 complaints were received of unpaid salaries for migrant workers in Malaysia. Meanwhile, in the first two months, the Indonesian Embassy had received reports of 16 cases of those who had yet to receive their salaries in Malaysia.

At a press conference with President Jokowi following the meeting, the Malaysian prime minister stated that his country had also ratified the ILO Protocol 29 as a commitment to eradicating forced labor practices.

The Malaysian prime minister’s entourage comprised Minister of Communications and Multimedia Annuar Musa, Minister of Development of Disadvantaged Regions Mahdzir Khalid, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamarudin Jaffar, and Member of Parliament Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia has witnessed 1,137 disasters as of March 2022, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

Thus, on average, at least three disasters were reported every day, which is a concerning statistic, acting Head of the agency’s Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center Abdul Muhari said at a press conference, accessed from here on Friday.

In terms of the types of disasters, Indonesia faced wet hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, landslides, and extreme weather, he informed.

These types of disasters are the most common in Indonesia, and have occurred in previous years.

Seven provinces recorded the highest rate of disasters in the first three months of this year: Aceh, West Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, and South Sulawesi, he informed.

As per data from the agency, the seven provinces have been hotspots every year, recording the highest disaster incidence rates in Indonesia.

Thus, the agency urged the governments of the seven provinces to pay utmost attention to environmental conditions, rivers, and mountainous areas, which serve as water catchment areas.

It also advised them to pay attention to conditions along the rivers’ path for signs of narrowing or silting.

Muhari said that in March 2022, Indonesia experienced 358 disasters, while in March 2021, 537 disasters were recorded in the country.

“The number of disasters in March 2022 was less than March 2021,” he pointed out.

He also said that fewer casualties were reported in terms of injured victims, stranded and displaced victims, as well as damaged houses, compared to the March 2021 period.

However, the number of dead and missing people was higher in March this year compared to the year-ago period.

“In March 2021, 17 people (either) died (or) went missing, while in March this year, there were 29 people (who died or went missing). That’s an increase of 70 percent,” he added.

Source: Antara News

The Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) has said it is committed to continuing its assistance program in Afghanistan.

As part of the commitment, MER-C sent an advance team to map health issues in Afghanistan, distribute initial assistance as the mandate of the Indonesian community, and launch MER-C’s subsequent program for Afghanistan, MER-C informed in a written statement received in Jakarta on Friday.

The advance team has returned to Indonesia after performing its duties in the humanitarian crisis-hit country from March 20 to 26, 2022.

The Indonesian humanitarian mission in Kabul facilitated a meeting between the MER-C team and key Afghan figures such as Vice Public Health Minister Habibullah Akhundzada and several directors of hospitals in Afghanistan.

The MER-C team also visited an Indonesian clinic dedicated to the Afghan people through the Indonesia-Afghanistan Friendship program. The clinic is located in Ahmad Shah Baba Mina district, around 20 kilometers from Kabul.

“From the visit we can convey that Afghanistan, in its very long journey, falls into humanitarian crisis and health crisis,” MER-C said in the statement.

According to MER-C, the Afghan people are currently facing problems such as malnutrition, stunting, and drug addiction, coupled with declining medicine stocks.

The crisis in Afghanistan has also created financial problems, with healthcare workers not receiving salaries for seven months after international aid to the country was frozen.

“Therefore, MER-C Indonesia appeals to elements of civil community to pay attention to Afghanistan. Let us work hand in hand to assist the Afghan people through this humanitarian crisis,” it said.

MER-C Indonesia has committed to preparing and providing further assistance in the form of a voluntary medical team, medicines, and assistance for capacity building.

Source: Antara News

Government spokesperson for COVID-19 handling Reisa Broto Asmoro has highlighted the importance of vitamins for body health and protection from diseases.

“It is important to take care of ourselves by watching what food, drink, and vitamin that we consume,” she said during an online talk on Friday.

There are two types of vitamins: fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. The former comprise vitamins A, D, E, and K. Meanwhile, the latter consist of vitamins B and C.

Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored inside the body, rather they are disposed of through the kidneys. Hence, these vitamins need to be consumed daily.

Processes such as washing and cooking can eliminate nutrients and vitamins in foods. So, there are several solutions for ensuring adequate vitamin intake, Asmoro said.

For instance, vitamins are not just obtained from foods such as fruits and vegetables, they can also be gained from oral supplements and vitamin infusion that can be directly administered into the body.

Asmoro also reiterated the importance of vaccination to protect people from dangerous diseases.

Vaccination or immunization exposes the body to virus or bacteria components for building immunity. Hence, the risk of infection is reduced in addition to the risk of a disease worsening once exposed.

The role of vaccines amid the pandemic has been considered beneficial for breaking the chain of infection and truly eliminating the disease from the face of the Earth.

Asmoro invited parents to make sure that their children receive complete immunization as a way of protecting them. This is because children’s development can be disrupted if they contract a disease.

Immunization is not only important for individuals who receive it, but also beneficial for forming herd immunity, thus protecting the surrounding people.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia and Malaysia are aiming to improve the placement system of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia’s domestic sector and their protection, with the signing of a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU), the Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah has said.

“Surely this is a very good achievement for the two countries to collectively agree to improve the governance of the placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia,” Fauziyah said at a press conference at the ministry’s office here on Friday.

Discussions on the draft MoU had begun in October 2021 itself and the agreement was finalized in March 2022, she informed. The MoU had been initiated by the Indonesian government in 2016.

In general, the principles agreed to by both countries under the agreement seek to ensure better protection for Indonesian migrant workers engaged in the domestic sector, Fauziyah said.

As per the MoU, both countries have agreed that the One Channel System will be the only legal channel for the recruitment and placement of migrant workers in the Malaysian domestic sector, she highlighted.

The system will integrate the online systems of Indonesia and Malaysia. From now on, all placements will have to go through Indonesian and Malaysian recruitment agencies registered in the system.

Migrant workers will also only work in one house with a maximum of six family members. Job descriptions will be specified for each position so that Indonesian workers do not do other jobs.

The migrant workers will also be covered by Malaysia’s employment insurance scheme for foreign workers and health insurance, whose premium costs will be paid by their employer.

The Indonesian representative in Malaysia has the authority to set the minimum wage for migrant workers, which is 1,500 Malaysian ringgit or around Rp5.1 million, and the minimum income for prospective employers at 7 thousand ringgit, or around Rp23 million.

Minister Fauziyah said that both governments will periodically monitor and evaluate the process of migrant workers’ placement in Malaysia’s domestic sector under the One Channel System.

Malaysian Human Resources Minister Dato’ Seri Saravanan Murugan said the MoU between the two countries will encourage the implementation of that agreement.

This is in line with the expectations expressed by President Joko Widodo, who witnessed the signing of the MoU with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob from Merdeka Palace on Friday.

Source: Antara News