Introductory Remarks of President Joko Widodo at the Limited Meeting on Stunting Reduction, 5 April 2018, at the Presidential Office, Jakarta

By Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation     Date 5 April 2018
Category: Speech Transcript
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Unofficial English Translation 

Bismillahirahmanirrahim,

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

In today’s limited meeting, we will discuss stunting reduction. Why we should discuss stunting? It is because I frequently stressed that after the important stage of infrastructure development acceleration is completed, we will enter the next one, namely investment in quality improvement of Indonesian human resources.

Stunting or stunted growth is a major threat to the quality of Indonesian human resources, a threat to the nation’s competitiveness. Stunted children are not only too short phisically for his or her age, but they also have underdeveloped brains. Furthermore, this condition will affect not only their ability to absorb lessons and their performance at school, but also their productivity and creativity in their golden age.

I also want to emphasize that the effort to decrease the stunting rate is a joint work that should involve all society elements, especially the women involved in Family Welfare Movement (PKK) program. Moreover, we need to maximize the functions of Integrated Health Service Posts (Posyandu) in the villages. I also demand that an action plan should be made more integrated and have a concrete impact on the community, starting from food consumption habits, parenting, and issues related to sanitation.

During the last three years, we have already provided biscuits for pregnant women as well as toddlers. I think that it is not enough, not yet enough. We should also provide fish, milk, eggs, and mung beans. Additionally, basic sanitation services, clean water supply, and also provisions of shower, washing, and toilet facilities should be our concern. Public education and Healthy Lifestyle Movement (Germas) should be further intensified in order to make a healthy environment for the children to grow.

I think that is all I can say. (PR, Cabinet Secretary)(HN/AW/YM/Naster)

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