Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) has revealed that the very low budget absorption of the Family Planning Operational Assistance (BOKB) as well as the continued delay of weaning food (MPASI) have slowed efforts to alleviate stunting prevalence.
Head of the agency Hasto Wardoyo said here on Friday that the low budget absorption was seen in several district and city governments.
"In North Nias district, the (budget) absorption was previously only 5 percent, but after we intensely communicated (with them), the budget absorption became 34 percent in two weeks," he gave an example.
According to data from BKKBN, the BOKB budget absorption by district/city governments until July 2022 was only 6 percent on average.
The data also showed that, as of July 2021, weaning food for babies such as nutrient-rich biscuits and milk had not reached beneficiary families.
Maternal and neonatal health coordinator at the Directorate of Family Health, Health Ministry, Nida Rohmawati, said that the budget provision for weaning food for stunted toddlers was Rp300 billion.
Related news: Stunting eradication requires strong commitment from families: BKKBN
Half the budget, or Rp150 billion, was meant for procuring locally made weaning food and the other half for obtaining manufactured weaning food. However, the tender for the food procurement is still in progress.
Rohmawati further said that the stunting prevalence data, which was based on the Indonesian Nutritional Status Study (SSGI) of 2021, was out-of-date and thereby, often caused problems in regions.
Related news: BKKBN collaborating with stakeholders to push down stunting rate Therefore, the government will make improvements and add data samples in 2022, she informed.
In 2021, data on stunting prevalence was collected using samples divided into 15 thousand census blocks, as well as 150 thousand households with toddlers, she said.
Meanwhile, in 2022, the data collection sample will be increased to 34 provinces, 514 districts/cities, 34,500 census blocks, and 345 thousand households with toddlers.
