PEOPLE EXPECTED TO HELP OVERCOME STUNTING PROBLEM

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, July 5 (Antara) - One of the health problems faced by Indonesia is stunting in children, which could affect the future generation.          Stunting problem should, therefore, be overcome through efforts involving all parties in the society.          Head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Laksana Tri Handoko, stated that stunting in Indonesia is a problem that concerns community behavior regarding nutritional intake.           Based on data at the National Development Planning Ministry, due to the imbalance in nutritional intake, the number of stunted children has now reached 9 million.           Handoko stated in Jakarta on Wednesday (July 4) that the problem of stunting occurs from adolescence, after marriage, pregnancy, and until the time of parenting.           "Nutritional fulfillment is a must in the first one thousand days of life of the fetus. That is why pregnant women's nutrition is so important, because brain development occurs when the fetus reaches three months," Handoko remarked.