Depok, 20 November 2025 — Stunting remains one of the nutrition problems that requires serious attention in the City of Depok. This issue underscores the need to strengthen nutrition literacy within the community, including through the involvement of religious leaders who hold strong influence and close relationships within their congregations.
Responding to this need, the Department of Public Health Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia (FPH UI), carried out a Community Service and Empowerment Program themed “Strengthening the Role of Religious Leaders as Agents of Change in Improving Stunting Literacy” on 20 November 2025 at the Mampang Urban Village Office, Pancoran Mas District, Depok City.
Attended by 29 religious leaders from various places of worship across Mampang, the program aimed to enhance their capacity as community role models, enabling them to deliver health messages—particularly regarding stunting and the importance of balanced nutrition within families.
The head of the program team, Dr. Ir. Asih Setiarini, M.Sc., emphasized that improving the understanding of stunting among religious leaders is crucial, as this knowledge can be incorporated into religious sermons and disseminated more broadly to the community. Asih also highlighted the importance of implementing balanced nutrition within families as a key step to prevent stunting, especially during the First 1,000 Days of Life—the most critical period for fulfilling a child’s nutritional needs.
The community welcomed the program enthusiastically. The Head of Mampang Urban Village, Darmawansyah, S.E., stated that the Depok City Government implements stunting reduction programs annually in accordance with national directives, and this initiative serves as an important part of those efforts. According to Darmawan, involving religious leaders is an innovative and strategic step because they can effectively disseminate nutrition messages to their congregations, thereby strengthening stunting prevention initiatives. He expressed hope that similar activities can be carried out regularly and sustainably to help shape a healthier and more competitive young generation.
In line with this, the Chairman of the Mampang Branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Ustadz Jayudi, S.Ag., shared his perspective on the importance of nutrition education related to stunting. “Nutrition education plays an essential role in preventing stunting, especially for parents to understand nutritional fulfillment from pregnancy until a child reaches two years of age,” he said. Jayudi emphasized that religious leaders have a moral responsibility to convey health messages as part of their preaching. He appreciated the activity for providing new insights on stunting and balanced nutrition, and expressed his commitment to sharing the information with the community through religious gatherings.
A representative from DKM Baitussalam, Ustadz Haryanto, also shared positive impressions of the nutrition education program. He stated that he gained new insights on the importance of balanced nutrition and how nutritional needs must be properly fulfilled through daily meals. He noted that such topics are rarely addressed in religious lectures, despite their relevance in addressing stunting cases found in Mampang. “Most preachers or religious educators rarely focus on nutrition; the discussions are usually more general. With this program, inshaAllah the message can be conveyed, even if not perfectly. This topic is seldom addressed—unlike in posyandu—so with this new understanding, we can start spreading information about stunting and balanced nutrition,” he said.
As feedback, Haryanto suggested that similar programs be held regularly—every three or six months—to ensure sustained impact. He also recommended expanding nutrition education not only at the neighborhood level but also to other community groups, including civic organizations and volunteer networks, to strengthen cross-community collaboration in preventing stunting.
Through this initiative of empowering religious leaders as agents of change, FPH UI reaffirms its contribution to strengthening community health resilience, particularly in grassroots stunting prevention efforts. This program not only provides impactful education but also demonstrates FPH UI’s commitment to delivering solutions that are Excellent and Impactful, aligned with the spirit of FPH UI with Noble Character and Excellent Performance. With sustained collaboration among religious leaders, local government, and the community, FPH UI continues to advance innovations that enhance the quality of life of Indonesian families toward a healthier and more empowered future. (Nutrition)