National Children's Day: More Than a Quarter of Indonesian Toddlers Suffer from Stunting

National Children's Day, observed every July 23rd, often serves as a reflection on the challenges facing Indonesian children. In terms of health, stunting remains a serious issue that requires urgent government attention.

If a significant number of Indonesian children continue to suffer from malnutrition and stunting, it will have a detrimental impact on Indonesia's future human resources.

According to the Ministry of Health's data, 27.67% of Indonesian toddlers (children under five) are stunted. This means that one in four Indonesian toddlers suffers from malnutrition. Although the trend shows a decrease, reducing stunting rates remains a significant challenge for policymakers.

The Global Nutrition Target 2025 aims to reduce the percentage of stunted toddlers by 40%. Meanwhile, the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2020-2024 sets a target of reducing the stunting rate to 14%.

For information, stunting is a malnutrition problem caused by long-term insufficient nutrient intake, resulting in impaired physical growth, making children shorter than the standard for their age. Furthermore, stunting impacts cognitive ability, leading to reduced cognitive function.