VP Ma’ruf Amin Calls for Collaboration to Reduce Stunting for Nation’s Future

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin

Stunting has become not only Indonesia’s current issue but also the issue of its future given one in three Indonesian children suffers from this syndrome, Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has said.

“They are our future. How can we achieve the vision of Golden Indonesia in 2045 if the fundamental capital, that is the children of the nation, suffers from stunting, has impeded cognitive development and health problems?” he said in his remarks at the 2021 National Stunting Forum held online in Jakarta, Tuesday (12/14).

During the event adopting the theme of “Commitment and Joint Action to Creating Effective Strategies to Accelerate Stunting Reduction in Indonesia,” the VP reiterated the Government’s serious concern to reduce stunting prevalence.

“The Government’s commitment remains unwavering,” he emphasized, adding that last August, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has signed Presidential Regulation Number 72 on Acceleration of Stunting Reduction.

“The substance adopted the 2018-2024 National Strategy to Accelerate Stunting Prevention. Our target is crystal clear. We want to reduce the prevalence of stunting to 14 percent by 2024. By 2030, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we hope that the prevalence of stunting has reached zero in our country,” he said.

Therefore, the VP has urged all related parties to immediately start investing in nutrition intervention. Investment in nutrition is the key to creating the nation’s future, he added.

“One dollar invested in a nutrition program can result in profit that is worth tens of times more. On the contrary, a study from the World Bank shows that the loss due to stunting and undernutrition will affect to a decrease of at least 3 percent in a country’s gross domestic product (GDP),” he said.

On that occasion, the VP also ordered Head of the National Population and Family Planning Board Hasto Wardoyo, who also helms the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction program, to strengthen coordination with stakeholders at the Central Government and regional levels up to the villages/urban villages.

“Involvement and collaborative work at all levels of Government are essential to monitor the program convergence in order to achieve the target of stunting reduction,” he said while stating that ministries and Government institutions should join hands to ensure that intervention is in place and required resources are provided to accelerate stunting reduction.

“Ministries and institutions have to make sure that intervention and resources needed to accelerate stunting reduction are provided and accessible to target groups, namely adolescents, future brides and grooms, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and toddlers,” he said.

The VP also ordered Minister of the National Development Planning (PPN)/Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Suharso Monoarfa, who acts as the Vice Head of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation, to monitor and evaluate the acceleration of stunting reduction.

“If you find issues that can obstruct target achievement, do solve them immediately,” he underscored.

At the end of the forum, the VP pointed out that stunting cannot be eliminated by one institution or by the Central Government alone.

“Stunting reduction requires the involvement of all parties, including regional and village/urban village governments, academics, the media, private sectors, non-governmental organizations, and development partners,” he remarked. (BPMI of Vice Presidential Secretariat/AIT) (DH/MUR)

The official website of the Vice President can be accessed through this link.