Tanoto Foundation and SMERU: Stunting Rate Research in Rokan Hulu
In 2018, WHO designated Indonesia as a country with poor nutritional status. Many Indonesian children still experience chronic malnutrition, especially in the first 1000 days of life which causes stunting. Stunting is a condition of failure to thrive in toddlers, which can be seen from the length or height that is less than age. Children who suffer from stunting are not only disturbed by their physical growth (short/short stature), but also their brain development, which of course will greatly affect their ability and achievement in school, productivity and creativity in productive ages. As a result of these various impacts, stunting is considered as one of the serious threats to the competitiveness of a nation.
Many factors affect stunting, including poor parenting practices, lack of nutritional intake for pregnant women and toddlers, limited access to health services, and lack of access to clean water and sanitation. Around 9 million children under five in Indonesia suffer from stunting; or 1 in 3 toddlers is stunted. In this case, Indonesia occupies the 5th position in the world with the highest number of stunting sufferers after China, Pakistan, Nigeria, and India (UNICEF, 2013). In the Asian region, stunting conditions in Indonesia are still quite high compared to neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. WHO data also shows that stunting in Indonesia is still at a critical point. Even some areas such as South Kalimantan, Gorontalo, South Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara to West Papua are in a fairly critical condition with numbers above 30% and approaching 40%.
Basic Health Research Data (Riskesdas 2018) shows that as a whole population, the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia has indeed decreased from 37.2% in 2013 to 30.8%. However, the stunting tolerance limit determined by WHO is 20 percent or one-fifth of the total number of children under five, so the reduction rate listed in the 2018 Riskesdas is still not good. There are still many efforts that can be maximized to speed up the process of decline.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla in 2017, called for the development of a National Strategy for the Acceleration of Stunting Prevention. The national strategy aims to strengthen all services and encourage the convergence of programs at the national, local and community levels. This strategy brings together the commitments of 22 ministries to incorporate priority nutrition interventions. In 2018, this strategy targets 100 districts with high stunting rates and eventually all 514 districts and cities by 2021.
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