Ministry Distributes Free Nutritious Meals to 9.6 Million Beneficiaries

The Ministry of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga) has distributed the Free Nutritious Meals programme for Pregnant Women, Breastfeeding Mothers, and Toddlers (MBG 3B) to 9.6 million beneficiaries as of Thursday, in an effort to reduce stunting prevalence. “As of today, we have reached 9.6 million beneficiaries of the MBG 3B programme,” said Minister Wihaji during an inspection of the MBG 3B service centre in Pangkalbalam, Pangkalpinang City, Bangka Belitung Islands. He noted that of the 9.6 million recipients nationwide, 33,852 are in Bangka Belitung Province, spread across Pangkalpinang City and the regencies of Bangka, Central Bangka, West Bangka, South Bangka, Belitung, and East Belitung. “To ensure these 33,852 beneficiaries are served, we are directly reviewing the MBG 3B service standards in Pangkalbalam,” he said. The minister stressed that the direct inspection was in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to minimise discussion and workshops in favour of field visits to resolve issues promptly. Bangka Belitung Governor Hidayat Arsani emphasised that fulfilling the nutritional needs of mothers and children is a crucial investment in building a healthy and quality human resource base. He stated that the programme’s implementation must not only ensure distribution but also maintain food quality, nutritional content, hygiene, safety, and timely delivery. “The most important thing is that the food provided truly meets the nutritional needs of mothers and children. We want this programme to deliver real, tangible benefits to the people of Bangka Belitung,” he said.