TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government has outlined a target to lower the prevalence of stunting in its National Medium-term Development Plan to 19 percent by 2024.

"It will be reduced, from 30 to 19 percent by 2024," Secretary General of the Health Ministry Oscar Primadi stated after the commemoration of Indonesia's 74th Independence Day here on Saturday.

A research on basic health conducted in 2018 indicated that stunting prevalence in Indonesia has declined to 30.8 percent, from 37.2 percent in 2013.

However, it was still higher than the standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO) at maximum prevalence level of 20 percent.

The Finance Ministry affirmed that budget apportioned for the health sector in 2019 had reached Rp123.1 trillion to be channeled for lowering the prevalence of stunting to 24.8 percent.

President Joko Widodo or Jokowi, in his state address before the House of Representatives on Friday, noted that budget allocation for the health sector in 2020 will be increased to Rp132.2 trillion.

The government will also expand coverage of its intervention to reduce stunting in 260 districts in 2020 and increase the number of the National Health Insurance (JKN) beneficiaries to 96.8 million people.

ANTARA