BGN: School Nutrition Programme Provided for 5 School Days Except in High Stunting 3T Areas

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has established a policy for the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG) for schoolchildren, to be distributed during five school days per week, except in remote, outermost, and underdeveloped areas (3T) and regions with high stunting prevalence. “The provision of MBG in 3T areas and those at high risk of stunting is carried out for six school days or from Monday to Saturday. This is a strategic step to ensure that children receive sufficient nutrition every day,” said BGN Head Dadan Hindayana in his statement in Jakarta on Sunday. BGN emphasises the importance of meticulous data collection to determine the areas eligible for this special policy. The latest data from the 2024 Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI) by the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) serves as the reference for setting priority regions for nutritional interventions, particularly in eastern Indonesia. This data collection includes the number of schools, the number of students, and the stunting prevalence in each region. Provinces in the eastern region, Sumatra, and Papua are examples of priority areas due to persistently high stunting rates. “Data integrity is very important because this programme concerns the health and future of the younger generation. We do not want any child to be left behind in nutritional fulfilment,” he stated.