President Jokowi, First Lady Iriana Inspect Joint Intervention Movement for Stunting Prevention in Bogor City

President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana visit Wijaya Kusuma Integrated Health Post (Posyandu), Kebon Pedes, Bogor city, West Java province, Tuesday (11/06/2024). (Photo by: Bureau of Press, Media, and Information (BPMI) of the Presidential Secretariat/Laily Rachev)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo accompanied by First Lady Iriana visited Wijaya Kusuma Integrated Health Post (Posyandu), Kebon Pedes, Bogor city, West Java province, on Tuesday (06/11) to inspect firsthand the activities of the Joint Intervention Movement for Stunting Prevention. This movement, which was launched simultaneously in June, is part of the Government’s efforts to reduce stunting rates in Indonesia.

Upon arrival at the venue, President Jokowi immediately inspected the activities being carried out at the Posyandu, including registration, weighing, measuring body height, recording and health counseling. The Posyandu has prepared two additional special desks, one for dealing with stunting prevention and the other for dealing with family resilience, which demonstrate local innovations in dealing with the stunting problems.

According to Meira Sophia, Chair of Working Group 4 of Bogor City Family Welfare Movement (PKK), those activities involve an integrated process from registration to counseling with an aim of optimizing stunting prevention. “Thank God, the public are very enthusiastic and actually want to flock to this place to meet the President,” she said, expressing the residents’ enthusiasm for participating in the program at the Posyandu.

As many as 105 babies and toddlers, prospective brides and grooms, and a number of pregnant women are expected to participate in activities at Posyandu Wijaya Kusuma. Meira expressed hope that this joint movement can reduce significantly the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia.

“With this joint movement, it is hoped that simultaneous measurements, then simultaneous and integrated intervention in all lines can reduce the stunting rate and will then create a good generation in 2045,” she explained.

Local residents, including Zulaeha who regularly takes her grandchildren to the Posyandu, feel happy and motivated by the President’s presence. “We’re very happy, the movement (stunting prevention) is good, orderly and neat,” said Zulaeha.

Givani, mother of a 4-month-old child, also said that stunting prevention activities at the Posyandu are very helpful, especially in providing more accessible health services for the community.

With this Joint Movement for Stunting Prevention, the Government hopes that there will be a significant reduction in the prevalence of stunting and the stunting reduction target of up to 14 percent by 2024 will be achieved. This movement is also expected to help create a healthier and smarter future generation to meet the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.

Also joining President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana in this activity were Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Acting West Java Governor Bey Machmudin, and Acting Bogor Mayor Hery Antasari. (BPMI SETPRES/AIT)