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Stunting stunts Indonesia’s demographic dividend
The prevalence of childhood stunting in Indonesia has remained high over the past decade. According to the Health Ministry, the prevalence of stunted children rose from 35.6 percent in 2010 to 37.2 percent in 2013.
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Street Children sheltering community Griya Baca has been conducting trainings to increase self-esteem and social support for street children for the past 10 years. (JP/Nedi Putra AW)
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he prevalence of childhood stunting in Indonesia has remained high over the past decade. According to the Health Ministry, the prevalence of stunted children rose from 35.6 percent in 2010 to 37.2 percent in 2013. Anything above 20 percent indicates a high severity of malnutrition, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
There are also large disparities among Indonesia’s provinces: 15 have a stunting prevalence of more than 40 percent, while the rest are between 25 and 40 percent. Children are defined as stunted if their height for their age is below the WHO Child Growth Standard. They suffer from poor nutrition, infections and inadequate psychosocial stimulation, which hampers their mental development.
According to Basic Health Research (Riskesdas), children suffering from stunting are born of both the poorest families and the wealthy. However, the prevalence among the poorest is almost twice as high as it is among the richest. Economically, they are also likely to suffer more.
Stunting remains a major challenge for Indonesia, yet few people understand that it can lead to losses in both human and economic potential.
