Govt Provides Local-Based Supplementary Food to Prevent Stunting
Photo caption: President Jokowi attended the dissemination of measures to prevent stunting and malnutrition at Bantar Gadung Community Health Center, Sunday (8/4). (Photo by: Jay/Public Relations Division of Cabinet Secretariat).
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Sunday (8/4) at Bantar Gadung Community Health Center, Bantar Gadung Village, Bantar Gadung District, Sukabumi, West Java, attended the dissemination of measures to prevent stunting and malnutrition.
Nursing mothers, pregnant women, toddlers and Integrated Health Post (Posyandu) cadres were among those who joined the event.
During the limited cabinet meeting on Thursday (5/4), President Jokowi called for a more concerted action plan and more concrete measures to prevent stunting, ranging from interventions on diet, parenting, and sanitation.
President Jokowi and his entourage arrived at the site around 9:30. The President, accompanied by the Minister of Health Nila F. Moeloek, then inspected the monitoring of weight and height of toddlers, inspected local supplementary food for pregnant women and toddlers, and talked with mothers.
Speaking to reporters after the event, President Jokowi maintained that the Government will massively provide Integrated Service Posts (Posyandu) in regions and optimize campaigns on child weighing, nutrition, and infant health. “We have been doing this program since 2 years ago and will pay more attention to local-based supplementary food,” the President said, adding that some local food such as eggs, green beans, bananas, papaya, fish, and tempeh (a fermented soybean cake) are delicious.
According to the President, local supplementary food is tasty and toddlers love them.
President Jokowi went on to say that the most important thing is how to prepare the local food so that toddlers always have appetite to eat every day. The supplementary food, according to President Jokowi, is vital for pregnant women and for brain development of children under two or the golden age period, during which the brain develops until 80%.
President Jokowi also said that the childrens first two years are vital for their health and intelligence and stressed the importance of breast milk and reminded Family Welfare Movement (PKK) to organize more Posyandu.
President Jokowi further said that local supplementary food program will be integrated with cash for work program, meaning that cash for work program will include programs on nutrition and environmental health, including sanitation. (DNA/ES) (RI/EP/Naster)
