Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Main Expert of the Family Planning (KB) Counselor of National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN), Dwi Listyawardani stated that the free nutritious meal program managed by the National Nutrition Agency can improve public health.

"Nutritious food that will be managed by the National Nutrition Agency is actually aimed at improving the health of the community and the learning ability of students, including pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and toddlers," said Dwi on Monday (9/16/2024).

According to her, the National Nutrition Agency, which will be a strategic agency to overcome nutritional problems in Indonesia, needs to create strategic programs that intervene with families, so that they are able to implement healthy and clean living behaviors to prevent the birth of new stunted babies.

"Changes in community behavior related to nutritious food intake have actually been driven by the BKKBN, and slowly at least awareness is starting to emerge among families about the importance of nutritious food for prospective mothers, pregnant women and babies under two years old (toddlers)," she continued

She also emphasized the importance of utilizing local food or food ingredients that can be produced from one's own garden or yard to increase the family's nutritional intake.

In addition, it is also important to pay attention to nutritional intake in babies aged six months and above, considering that so far the handling of stunting has been directed more by the government towards families at risk of stunting (KRS) targeting babies under two years old, pregnant women, and mothers giving birth.

"When born, the baby may be monitored as healthy. However, stunting can appear in healthy babies when they are six months old and above. The cause is because the nutritional intake from complementary foods (MPASI) given to the baby is not good or not nutritious," concluded Dwi.

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