Govt boosts commitment to stunting reduction through accurate data

 The Indonesian government is reinforcing its commitment to accelerating stunting reduction through stronger cross-sectoral coordination and collaboration to improve the accuracy of stunting data.

Secretary of the Ministry of Population and Family Development, Budi Setiyono, emphasized the importance of a precision data-based approach based on name and address, or "by name by address," as the main instrument in supporting the effectiveness of interventions.

"This approach allows us to more accurately identify individuals, families, and areas requiring priority attention to reach target groups," he stated on Thursday (June 12).

He also stressed the need to continuously strengthen the data system by improving data collection, validation, regular updates, and integration across ministries and agencies.

According to him, quality data is essential for developing evidence-based policies that can effectively accelerate stunting reduction.

"We have been building a database of families at risk of stunting (KRS) down to the village/sub-district level, which can serve as a basis for interventions by various ministries/agencies and local governments," he noted.

He added that effective coordination must extend beyond the national level to the regions, where local governments serve as the front line of program implementation. 

"Therefore, policy support, technical assistance, and capacity building of local governments need to be continuously improved to ensure the success of program implementation," he said.

Setiyono said that investing in stunting prevention is crucial for strengthening Indonesia’s future competitiveness. Children who grow up in healthy environments and receive proper nutrition are more likely to achieve better health, educational outcomes, and economic productivity.

In the long term, these efforts will help improve overall quality of life and support the development of a healthy, skilled, and competitive workforce, enabling Indonesia to maximize its demographic dividend and realize its vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.

The Investing in Nutrition and Early Years (INEY) program from the World Bank and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) also serves as a strategic forum to strengthen synergy between ministries and institutions to realize more integrated, targeted, and sustainable stunting management efforts.

Stakeholder collaboration is essential as stunting is caused by various factors, including nutrition, healthcare, sanitation, education, food security, and family welfare.