West Java Government Deploys Midwives to Combat Stunting

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has affirmed his commitment to tackling stunting, placing its management as the main focus of the province’s social policy. He believes that stunting prevention must begin early, specifically during pregnancy, to prevent more severe impacts after the child is born. “Our focus is on resolving stunting. I already have a concept and have asked the Health Office to create a work plan so that the potential for stunting in pregnant women is addressed from the pregnancy stage,” he stated during the declaration of Indonesia’s Health Sovereignty 2045 in Bandung on Wednesday. He explained that the West Java Provincial Government will intervene directly through the role of midwives in the field. Every pregnant woman identified as being at risk of malnutrition will immediately receive special assistance. “The pattern is that the midwife will conduct the examination. If a potential risk is identified, the midwife will immediately write a prescription for the needs during the nine months of pregnancy. The prescription includes vitamins, nutrition, food, and milk. This will be our focus,” he clarified. Dedi reasoned that treating stunting after birth is far more difficult because the child already has difficulty absorbing nutrients and protein. Therefore, preventive measures during pregnancy are the most effective solution to reduce the rate of malnutrition in West Java. “Treating stunting after the child is born is very difficult. The problem is not just a lack of nutritional intake, but that the children find it hard to absorb nutrients and protein once they are born. So, we will handle it from the pregnancy stage,” he stressed.