TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Acting Governor Heru Budi Hartono said that Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sidikin visited the City Hall to deliver guidance regarding cases of toddlers experiencing nutritional problems, as well as stunting mitigation programs. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded 798,107 toddlers are prone to malnutrition.

“[The government] targets to weigh 457,000 toddlers as recorded in the system, and toddlers who have been weighed amount to 250,000,” Heru Budi said at the Jakarta City Hall after holding a meeting on stunting, Monday, July 24, 2023.

According to him, the Health Minister directed the Provincial Government to measure the weight of all toddlers according to available data: 798,107 toddlers at risk of malnourishment.

“[Weight of] about 250,000 children have been measured. Toddlers in Jakarta who have nutritional problems are 36,000. That's what we discussed earlier,” Heru said.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi said the ministry in tandem with the Jakarta administration planned to launch a healthy children program targeting 50 districts/cities throughout Indonesia. “Later this month, we will launch the healthy children movement as stunting still needs special attention,” he said.

Jakarta will be the first province to launch the program because the city government is considered transparent, progressive, and keen to tackle stunting. Budi Gunadi thus appreciated the capital city for committing to measuring the weight of all toddlers and disclosing the data in a transparent manner.

“The data is made transparent and weighing is carried out on all toddlers. Many regions have not done so. Jakarta is the most committed and the most prepared province,” Health Minister said.

MUTIA YUANTISYA

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