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Upgrading the knowledge of posyandu volunteers key to addressing stunting
Posyandu volunteers are the extension of formal health workers to reach stunting reduction targets, especially in rural areas where access to health facilities is limited.
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Weight of responsibility: Community health workers weigh a toddler during a regular mother-and-child checkup at a posyandu (integrated health post) in South Celep district, Sidoarjo, East Java, on Oct. 12, 2023. (Antara/Umarul Faruq)
Over 1.5 million community healthcare workers (CHWs) have been at the forefront of Indonesia’s stunting prevention program through their services at more than 266,000 of the smallest community-integrated primary health posts (Posyandu).
At the Posyandu, these CHWs are in charge of the growth measurement and health monitoring of children and pregnant women.
Posyandu volunteers are becoming a crucial community with knowledge and skills to provide counseling to mothers during pregnancy and of children under two years old. A child's first 1,000 days are fundamental to their growth, therefore the knowledge of their mothers is key.
However, a survey conducted by the 1000 Days Fund on 348 Posyandu workers in West Java, Banten and East Nusa Tenggara found that only 69.8 percent of them properly understood the Health Ministry’s three critical messages of stunting. The three key messages contain the definition, effect of and ways to prevent stunting in children. The survey also discovered only 41.3 percent of workers knew how to prevent stunting appropriately.
The findings are alarming, considering that the lowest level of government, mainly in the rural areas, relies on the workers and the Posyandu in the early stage of children measurement and intervention.
On the other hand, of 598 mothers during pregnancy and of children under two that the 1000 Days Fund surveyed, mostly said they routinely checked their health, especially at Posyandu, seven times during the pregnancy. Another important insight is that 73.6 percent of them felt the importance of and could trust the ability of Posyandu workers.
Speaking of context, the data needs to be mapped, considering the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia remains very high. In 2022, our stunting rate dropped to 21.6 percent from 24.4 percent year-on-year. However, the rate is still above the World Health Organization’s 20 percent safe standard.
