Minister Wihaji Meets Family Assistance Teams in Southeast Aceh to Strengthen Stunting Prevention

The Minister of Population and Family Development (Mendukbangga) and Head of BKKBN, Wihaji, met with ,1440 members of the Family Assistance Team (TPK) in Southeast Aceh to strengthen the role of cadres in supporting families and accelerating the reduction of stunting in the Southeast Aceh Regency, Aceh.

“The TPK serves as the spearhead of family development, as they interact directly with prospective brides, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and families with toddlers. The success of various family development programmes is heavily determined by the quality of assistance provided by cadres in the field,” Wihaji stated in a briefing in Jakarta on Thursday.

Minister Wihaji continued that stunting prevention must be carried out comprehensively and sustainably from an early stage. “There are four main factors that require attention: good nutritional fulfilment, proper parenting, access to healthcare services, and a healthy environment supported by adequate sanitation,” he said.

He added that these four factors are areas that directly intersect with the duties of the TPK, which plays a strategic role in educating, assisting, and ensuring that target families receive the information and services needed to prevent stunting from an early age. A direct approach to the community is considered key to ensuring that various family development programmes run effectively and reach the intended targets.

“Do not engage in too much discussion or too many seminars. Go into the field and check the implementation on the ground,” Wihaji urged.

In addition to strengthening cadre capacity through family assistance, efforts to accelerate stunting reduction are also being conducted through direct interventions for families at risk of stunting. On this occasion, assistance was also distributed through the Stunting Prevention Foster Parent Movement (Genting) Programme, which included the renovation of three houses supported by Bank Syariah Indonesia (BKS) Kutacane, as well as assistance for the construction of healthy latrines from Bank Aceh Syariah KCP Kutacane. The distribution of this aid is part of the Genting Programme, which encourages the involvement of various parties in assisting families at risk of stunting through support tailored to the needs of the beneficiaries.