Stunting Threats In Several Provinces In Indonesia
Cianjur regency has now caused alarm as the prevalence of stunting in the regency is high. The latest data by the Health Ministry shows that the prevalence of stunting in children under five in Cianjur was about 35.7 percent in 2017.
The precentage exceeds the cut-off value for public health significance stated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Stunting is a condition in which a child fails to reach his or her linear growth potential, according to the WHO.
The situation has seemed to attract the attention of President Joko Widodo, who according to local authorities, is scheduled to visit Cianjur in the second week of February to address stunting and malnutrition issues, among other things.
However, no official schedule has yet been released by the Palace. Jokowi’s spokesman Johan Budi said he had yet to receive any information related to the visit, during which the President is also expected to check on the newly launched total rehabilitation program for Citarum river, which runs through part of Cianjur.
Three other regencies in West Java, namely Garut, Bandung and Sukabumi as well as Tasikmalaya municipality, are showing an increased prevalence of stunting at 43.2 percent, 38.7 percent, 37.6 percent and 38.2 percent respectively.
Around 7.83 percent of the total population in the province, or about 3,7 million people, has a low income, according to West Java’s Statistics Agency last September. Nationally, the 2013 Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) showed that around 37 percent or 9 million, of Indonesian children under 5 still had problems with stunting. In total, only 11 regencies and municipalities in Indonesia had a good nutritional status, according to the report.
Meanwhile in Wonogiri, Central Java, about 238 of children are suspected of being malnourished, and 1,388 more are believed to suffer from undernutrition. About 19 of the malnourished children have been admitted to Soediran Mangun Sumarso General Hospital. Stunting has also been happened in Tanjungpinang (Kepri), Samarinda (East Kalimantan), and Agats district in Asmat regency in Papua.
According to this news, social and cultural experts, Hendrijanto Ikhbal has said the accident of stunting which has occured in several provinces, as the strong signals that the Jokowi’s administration must give deeply attention to this case, because stunting and malnutrition have caused the decrease of national competitiveness.
