Sumedang Regency Government Aims to Prevent Stunting by Strengthening Adolescent Girls' Health

Sumedang Regency Government, West Java, is intensifying efforts to reduce stunting by strengthening the health of would-be mothers, particularly adolescent girls, as a strategic step in forming a healthy generation. Deputy Regent M. Fajar Aldila said prevention should not only focus on toddlers but must start at the upstream level by strengthening the health of adolescent girls as future mothers. “Stunting is not only a matter of malnutrition, but a matter of the nation’’s future. Children at risk of growth impediments, reduced learning capacity, and lower future productivity,” he said in Sumedang on Friday. He stressed that adolescent girls are an important group that must receive serious attention through nutrition education, anaemia prevention, consumption of iron tablets, and the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. According to him, these efforts are important to ensure would-be mothers have optimal health so they can give birth to a healthy and high-quality generation. In addition, the Sumedang regency reminded of the importance of preventing early marriage as it can increase health risks for mothers and children, including potential risks for the children born. “Early marriage not only affects social aspects but also increases health risks for mothers and children, including the risk of stunting,” he said. He added that accelerating the reduction requires involvement from all parties, from families, community leaders, educators, to local government in providing education to the younger generation. Aldila also stated that the local government is pushing the Free Nutritious Meals Programme as part of a long-term investment in human resource development. Apart from health interventions, Sumedang regency is strengthening a precise data system so that all programme targets, from prospective brides to pregnant women, can be monitored accurately. “Accurate data will determine the precision of the interventions we undertake,” he said. Based on real-time weighing of toddlers, the stunting rate in Sumedang Regency has fallen to 6.6 percent from 6.9 percent previously. Sumedang Regency aims to continue reducing the figure to below five percent through a preventive approach that starts with strengthening the health of would-be mothers as the main foundation for stunting prevention.