House of Representatives: Field Officers Must Ensure Stunting Interventions Hit the Right Targets

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chair of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Felly Estelita Runtuwene, emphasised the important role of Family Planning Extension Workers (PKB)/Family Planning Field Officers (PLKB) and Family Support Teams (TPK) in ensuring stunting interventions are well targeted.

Felly made the statement at the Kick Off of the 2026 Foster Parent Movement to Prevent Stunting (Genting) Week at the North Sulawesi provincial level, held at the Representative Office of the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) in North Sulawesi Province on Monday (10/8).

“We must no longer work based on estimates. Data must be correct, targets must be precise, interventions must match needs, and results must be measurable,” she said in an official statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.

According to her, stunting is not merely a health issue; its handling requires cross-sector collaboration.

“Stunting is not solely a health problem, but also a matter of human development, family quality, child protection, family resilience, and the nation’s future. Therefore, its handling must not be carried out partially,” Felly said.

As a working partner of the Ministry of Population and Family Development/BKKBN, Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives fully supports the implementation of Genting through budget support and oversight of budget execution, so that the programme runs on target and is able to reach all families at risk of stunting, including target families in hard-to-reach areas, islands, border regions, and other areas, so that no family targeted by the Genting intervention is missed.

According to her, collaboration through Genting is a solution to reach families who have not been able to receive government assistance due to administrative requirements.

“If we rely on the State Budget (APBN) or Regional Budget (APBD), it is often difficult because there are certificate requirements and so on. Therefore, there must be another way through foster parents whose requirements are not complicated, but the state remains present,” she said.

She stressed that stunting prevention must be carried out before children experience growth disorders, namely through intervention in the first 1,000 days of life (HPK) or ages 0-2 years.