Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (PMK) Muhadjir Effendy on Friday asked the governor of Jambi to make efforts to bring down the stunting rate in the province to single digits.
“In 2024, (I hope) it can reach single digits,” he said while reading his remarks at a plenary session on the 66th anniversary of Jambi province on Friday.
He also lauded the rapid reduction in the stunting rate from 22.4 percent in 2021 to 18.0 percent in 2022 achieved by Jambi province.
Muhadjir said the stunting rate of 18.0 percent in Jambi in 2022 was lower than the national stunting rate of 21.6 percent.
“Jambi province can be a pioneer in reducing stunting,” he remarked.
He then asked the governor of Jambi to provide health education to adolescents from an early age as a preventive measure to reduce cases of stunting.
He said he hopes that the governor will ask schools to impart education and knowledge about reproductive health and family health to students, especially female students.
It is important to prevent stunting from a young age, including by taking blood-boosting drugs and other preventive measures, the minister added.
Efforts to prevent stunting in Jambi province are being carried out by the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN), Jambi Provincial Health Office, and family empowerment and welfare mobilization team (TP-PKK).
“With the development that has been achieved in the field of human resources, I am optimistic that Jambi will become a province that makes a major contribution to Indonesia’s progress,” he said.
He emphasized that the smaller the stunting rate, the greater the potential for developing quality human resources.
The celebration of Jambi province’s anniversary this year was also attended by the Attorney General of the Republic of Indonesia, Sanitiar Burhanudin.
Source: Antara News