Prevention is always better than cure. And of the many health issues in Indonesia, one of them is stunting, it is also a problem that can be prevented. However, prevention stunting it is not enough if it is done only from one sector, but rather collaboration across related sectors. The party directly related to solving this problem is the health sector, while the indirect parties are the food security sector, availability of clean water and sanitation, poverty alleviation, education, social and others.
Cita Sehat Foundation (CSF) as an NGO that cares about public health, especially in Indonesia, has a program that focuses on preventing stunting. For example, the Posyandu Alert program, the Nutrition Alert Program, and the Maternal and Child Health program.
The Posyandu Alert Program aims to monitor the growth and development of babies under five years (toddlers). The main thing is during the golden period or critical period, namely the first 1000 days of life, which of course requires nutritional intake and monitoring of the child’s development.
The Nutrition Alert Program is the provision of additional food to children under five in posyandu who are experiencing malnutrition or below the red line with the aim of fulfilling children’s nutrition.
The maternal and child health program is focused on the mother’s health during pregnancy which will affect the condition or condition of the child at birth. If a child is born with a low birth weight (LBW), this will affect the occurrence of stunting. CSF activities are carried out by all branches from Aceh to Papua involving local stakeholders such as RT RW, sub-districts/villages and community health centers. CSF also involves stakeholders such as community leaders, religious leaders, etc. in carrying out the sustainability of its programs.
It is hoped that CSF activities can contribute to reducing stunting rates in Indonesia. However, it takes time to be able to specifically measure the success of programs that are directly related to stunting. This stunting problem needs to be addressed immediately and it is important for an intervention program to be implemented immediately. CSF plans to create a focused program related to solving the stunting problem, especially in West Java.
What Needs to be Done in Handling Stunting
The first thing that must be done in prevention efforts is to approach the 5 target groups namely Teenagers, Bride-to-be, Pregnant Women, Breastfeeding Mothers and children aged 0-59 years. Meeting the nutritional needs of the target age group is very important. Then by giving exclusive breast milk until the baby is 6 months old, after that giving complementary breast milk food in sufficient quantity and quality is an activity that really supports nutritional fulfillment in children.
Monitor the growth of toddlers in Posyandualso a very strategic effort to detect early growth disorders. Then, we must be able to increase access to clean water and sanitation facilities, as well as maintain a clean environment. And what is no less important, each party must carry out its role to ensure bodily health, environmental health and a good economy for the community. (Vilino Melda Sitepu., Partnership Div. Head Cita Sehat)