Based on the results of the Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI) conducted by the Indonesian Ministry of Health in 2022, it shows that around 27.5% of toddlers in Lebak Regency experience stunting. This figure is far above the national average, namely 21%. The national target of 14% in 2024 will be difficult to achieve.
Stunting is a condition where the body length or height of a toddler does not match his age. Stunting in toddlers can be caused by inadequate nutrition from the womb until the age of 2 years and recurrent infectious diseases. If this happens, it can also be accompanied by impaired intelligence, linear growth, and metabolism of the body’s organs, which will lead to an increase in non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke, heart disease, kidney failure and so on.
Considering that the impact is very large, it is necessary to handle stunting reduction comprehensively. Currently, the government has implemented nutritional interventions to prevent and overcome stunting, namely specific nutritional interventions, and sensitive nutritional interventions. Specific interventions are activities that directly address the causes of stunting and are generally provided by the health sector, such as food intake, infection prevention and maternal nutritional status. Meanwhile, sensitive interventions are activities related to indirect causes of stunting, such as providing drinking water and sanitation, increasing access and quality of nutrition and health services through health insurance access (JKN) activities and others that involve sectors outside of health.
Looking at the interventions that must be carried out, they cannot only be carried out by one sector, but involve various related sectors. It is not forgotten that the religious sector has an important role in reducing stunting among children under five. In line with the National Halaqah activities which will be held on October 6, 2023, which carries the theme of Involving Religious Counselors, Da’i and Da’iyah to Support the Acceleration of Reducing Stunting, this is the Ministry of Religion’s commitment. The Minister of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia said that religious instructors and preachers can take the role of preparing stunting material in every sermon, lecture and tausiyah so that the public understands health issues, especially stunting.
Located in the Kalanganyar District Office Hall, Lebak Regency, on November 27, training was held for preachers/kyai/ustadz. The training, which was packaged as community service, was chaired by Dr. Ir. Asih Setiarini, M.Sc., from the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI) with the theme of Increasing Nutritional Literacy among Religious Leaders in the Context of Reducing Stunting in Lebak Regency. The training aims to increase the nutritional literacy of religious leaders. It is hoped that nutrition messages, especially regarding stunting, can be used as a topic for religious lectures for the community, so that the community is also expected to increase their understanding regarding stunting and be able to apply it in their daily lives.
Bayu Hadiana Trenggono, S.IP., M.Si., Head of Kalanganyar Subdistrict, Lebak Regency, appreciated the community service program activities in his area. “The government’s focus on handling stunting cannot be done alone but requires collaboration between sectors. Thank God, providing education to religious leaders in Kalanganyar District by the FPH UI Nutrition Department Team can increase the knowledge of kyai/clerics in handling stunting so that in the future religious leaders “This can convey understanding regarding what stunting is and how to handle it,” said Bayu Hadiana.