Election Debate; IDI Asks Candidates Provide Solution to Stunting

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) chairman Daeng M Faqih demanded candidates in the upcoming presidential election debate provide concrete solutions to public health issues, including stunting.

Daeng opined that the most vital strategy to deal with stunting is by carrying out programs on health promotion and stunting prevention rather than the treatment. Thus, other sectors are required to help to solve the issue.

In the future, the government would have many tasks in the health sector, such as the high percentage of maternal mortality, the high prevalence of stunting that is at 30.8 percent, infectious disease and noninfectious disease among others, Daeng added.

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Therefore, he demanded vice presidential candidates able to give solutions to the problems from the upstream sector. According to him, the availability of foods in affordable prices and job opportunity to meet living needs could contribute to reducing stunting cases.

A public policy expert Agus Pambagio earlier explained that there was no specific strategy in overcoming stunting thus far. The government, he assessed, had just concerned on handling malnutrition, while the effort to prevent child stunting was not carried out correctly and systemically.

The third presidential election debate, in which vice presidential candidates Ma'ruf Amin and Sandiaga Uno will take part, is slated to be held at Sultan Hotel, Jakarta on Sunday, March 17, 2019.

ANTARA