Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - The City Government of Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, confirmed as many as 426 children have been freed from stunting status to coincide with the commemoration of National Nutrition Day 2024.
Banjarmasin Mayor H Ibnu Sina here on Tuesday stated that his government is very serious in handling stunting or children failinjg to grow through various efforts.
"With various interventions, we have succeeded in freeing 426 children from stunting by 2024," he remarked.
The City's Health Office recorded the number of stunted children reached 1,283 in 2023.
Related news: Banjarmasin empowers Gen-Z as agents to reduce stunting
Ibnu Sina expressed his gratitude to all parties involved in efforts to accelerate the reduction of stunting rate in the city.
"With joint efforts, stunting rate was successfully reduced through various interventions and collaborations with the stunting reduction acceleration team, until (we) receive an award in the form of medal as a symbol of extraordinary achievement," he said.
He especially gave an appreciation to the Mantuil Urban Village, South Banjarmasin, which succeeded in decreasing stunting rate with good intervention practices involving multi-party collaboration.
"This is an example for other urban villages and sub-districts to emulate their successful steps," he said.
Ibnu Sina emphasized the importance of overcoming stunting considering it serious impact on children both physical and brain development.
He is optimistic that with joint efforts, children who were previously stunted can grow into successful future leaders.
Especially on National Nutrition Day 2024, he delivered his message by emphasizing the importance of providing quality breast feeding (ASI) rich in animal protein as a step in preventing stunting.
"With continued encouragement and collaboration, I hope that by 2024, the stunting rate in Banjarmasin City can be reduced to zero," he said.
Read also: Banjarmasin promotes 39 events for 2024 tourist attraction
Read also: TMMD in Banjarmasin targets bridge and toilet
