ITB Has Conducted Research and Developed Early Detection Kits for Stunting
Stunting is a condition of failure to thrive in children under five due to chronic malnutrition. According to the Rector of ITB, Prof. Reini Wirahadikusumah, Ph.D., in her speech, stunting is a social issue that threatens the young generation that needed to be solved immediately.
"Therefore, as a locally relevant issue, ITB will deliver concrete contributions for our community," she concluded.
Meanwhile, according to Dr. Indra Wibowo as Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs at SITH, stunting is a problem that should be handled together. Many obstacles can hinder efforts to eradicate them. Still, ITB as an educational institution is committed to taking a role in reducing the prevalence of stunting.
He said that ITB has carried out community empowerment, mapping, research, and development to reduce the number of stunting cases in West Java. The stunting rates of West Java have reached 37%, higher than national cases - 27%.
The Deputy of Family Planning and Reproductive Health of BKKBN, dr. Eni Gustina, MPH. He emphasized the importance of a retrospective and prospective approach to stunting prevention. BKKBN fully supports marriage and pregnancy planning efforts. In the next four years, 20 million babies born in Indonesia will not suffer from stunting.
Furthermore, Dr. Rijanti Rahayu Maulani, a post-harvest technology lecturer at SITH ITB, conveyed a new perspective in terms of food security and access to tackling stunting. "There are four pillars of food security that can be used as guidance for us in collaboration, namely availability, affordability, stability, and utilization. All of that must stand up so that our food security is strong," he said.
Dr. Rijanti also explained that the key to preventing stunting is good nutrition and a healthy body. The government and our community should make collaborative efforts to ensure that mothers and children can access diverse and affordable food.
Ir. Didi Ruswandi, MT, as the Head of the Public Works Office of Bandung City, explained the material for striving for a sustainable environment in periurban. As an area squeezed by cities and villages, periurban has unique characteristics, so that a particular approach is needed. Together with the Public Works Agency, he is trying to create a regional arrangement that can meet the needs of clean water and sanitation for Bandung City people.
At the end of the discussion, Ramalis Sobandi, founder of the Pilar Tunas Nusa Foundation, invited all parties to make substantial efforts to reduce the national stunting rate below 14% by 2024.
Reporter: Sekar Dianwidi B. (Biological Engineering, 2019)
Translator : Billy Akbar Prabowo (Metallurgical Engineering 2020)
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