Govt aims to refocus MBG beneficiary in a week
Indonesia’s Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said the Ministry and National Nutrition Agency (BGN) would sit down with Indonesian leading nutrition experts to align the beneficiaries with the menu standards based on these adjustments.
“Our target is to refine eligible schools, age groups, locations, and focus on areas with stunting, among others. We also hope to finalise the selection of pregnant women and toddlers by August 5. Nutrition experts will provide inputs to the Ministry of Health and BGN to determine the targets,” Sadikin explained during a meeting on governance improvements at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He ensured related parties involved will also determine the standard MBG menu for beneficiaries.
“For example, whether we provide peanuts, milk, or other foods; those can all be incorporated as part of the adjustments. I am confident the new head of BGN will quickly and firmly resolve the data issues. Allow us to improve the programme, which I believe is very important for children’s health,” Sadikin said.
Related news: RI accelerates overhaul of 13,000 MBG service centers
Furthermore, his office will evaluate and study the impact of the MBG programme on beneficiaries, including its effect on child growth, through monitoring at integrated health posts (Posyandu) as part of efforts to reduce stunting.
“We have complete records of stunting children by name and by address. We will be able to track them monthly through Posyandu monitoring. With such data, we know to improve which nutrient still lacking, protein or carbohydrates,” Sadikin noted.
On the occasion, the government also ensured the sustainability of more than 13,000 MBG service units across Indonesia.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan said the restructuring of the service units would be carried out in two priority phases.
The first phase would focus on regions with high stunting rates, such as Highland Papua and East Nusa Tenggara, with the government aiming to complete the improvements within one month.
Meanwhile, most of the remaining Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) or MBG kitchens across Java and Sumatra would undergo evaluations over the next two months to verify their operational readiness.
Related news: BGN chief pledges closure of non-compliant free meals kitchens
Related news: Indonesian govt freezes 833 MBG kitchens over violations
Translator: Lintang Budiyanti P, Resinta Sulistiyandari