In the 2024 Rancangan Anggaran Belanja dan Pendapatan Negara (RAPBN), President Joko Widodo allotted IDR 186.4 trillion, or 5.6 percent, towards the healthcare system. One of the primary goals is to reduce the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia by 14 percent by 2024. In this context, Hasto Wardoyo, the Head of the Badan Kependudukan dan Keluarga Berencana Nasional (BKKBN), advocates the use of indigenous goods with a high Domestic Component Level (TKDN) in overcoming stunting and actively participates in stunting prevention education.
To support attainment of the 14% stunting reduction objective by 2024, Dexa Group collaborated with the Badan Kependudukan dan Keluarga Berencana Nasional to host a Midwife Education and Stunting Intervention program on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 in Blitar Regency, East Java Province.
Mr. Hasto Wardoyo, Regent of Blitar Mrs. Rini Syarifah, Chairperson of the East Java Ikatan Bidan Indonesia (IBI) Mrs. Lestari, Head of the Blitar Regency Health Office Mrs. Christine Indrawati, Corporate Affairs Director Dexa Group Mr. Tarcisius Tanto Randy, Marketing and Sales Director of Dexa Medica Mr. Maret Yudianto, and hundreds of Ikatan Bidan Indonesia members.
As the forefronts of stunting reduction, Mr. Hasto stated that it is critical for midwives to receive information and education on stunting prevention. “We are delighted since Dexa consistently encourages the effective breastfeeding programme to persist. This is critical since today’s young children lack knowledge about nursing or how to be a successful breastfeeding mother,” Mr. Hasto remarked.
Mr. Hasto also advocated for the use of locally produced products with a high Domestic Component Level in order to reduce stunting. “We appreciate Dexa for providing indigenous products. Domestic goods have been mandated by the government. HerbaAsimor should include more than 60% domestic ingredients. Previously, the regent told me that the regional government would afford it because the Domestic Component Level is more than 60%,” Hasto stated.
Domestic resources from the region, according to Blitar Regent Rini Syarifah, can be utilized as nourishment to avoid stunting. “I ate cursed fish earlier. Snakehead fish is good for stunting, and it turns out that HerbaAsimor has it,” she stated.
According to the Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI), the incidence of stunting in Blitar Regency is 14.5% in 2021 and will decrease by 0.2% in 2022. “I hope that stunting cases in Blitar Regency can be suppressed once more so that there will be no more stunting cases in 2023,” stated Mrs. Hj. Rini.
Ms. Christine Indrawati, the Head of the Blitar District Health Office, stated the same thing regarding utilizing products with a high Domestic Component Level to lower the rate of stunting.
“Blitar Regency is opting to purchase herbal ingredients to aid breast milk production, specifically through HerbaAsimor. This aligns with the government’s initiative to seek out domestic products with a Domestic Component Level of at least 25. We gave HerbaAsimor to breastfeeding mothers in 2022. Over the course of six months, the objective was to offer HerbaAsimor to 1,462 consumers. As a result, breast milk production surged by 80%,” she said.
Mrs. Lestari, Chairperson of the East Java Ikatan Bidan Indonesia, disclosed that East Java IBI has the most members in Indonesia and is a source of strength for East Java Province in attempts to eliminate stunting, which is still a top priority.
“Midwives are at the forefront of maternal and child health. One of the most significant tasks in assisting mothers from pregnancy to postpartum is assisting mothers in providing exclusive breastfeeding and adequate nutrition. As a result, we are ready to socialize and make the stunting reduction program a success,” Mrs. Lestari stated.
Dexa Group’s Contribution in Handling Stunting
Corporate Affairs Director of Dexa Group Mr. Tarcisius Tanto Randy said Dexa Group contributed to overcoming stunting with BKKBN, the Regional Leadership Communication Forum and the Indonesian Midwives Association by educating midwives in Blitar Regency.
Mr. Tarcisius Tanto Randy, Corporate Affairs Director of Dexa Group, stated that through educating midwives in Blitar Regency, Dexa Group helps prevent stunting in collaboration with BKKBN, the Forum Komunikasi Pimpinan Daerah (Forkompinda), and the Ikatan Bidan Indonesia.
“Through Dharma Dexa corporate social initiative program, we have collaborated in educating midwives and the public concerning the importance of maintaining pregnancy in the first 1,000 Days of Life in several cities in Indonesia, including Yogyakarta, Brebes Regency, Surabaya City, Wonosobo Regency, Palembang, and now Blitar Regency,” Mr. Tarcisius stated.
Mr. Sonny Himawan, Head of Corporate Communications Dexa Group, stressed that the stunting reduction aim is the application of one of the company’s fundamental principles: deal with care. “Penta Helix collaboration is required to achieve the goal of reducing stunting by up to 14 percent. Dexa Group and BKKBN have collaborated with over 5,500 midwives in 7 regions to conduct stunting prevention education since 2022,” noted Sonny Himawan.
Dexa Group also contributes to the development of pharmaceutical product innovations that aid in stunting intervention efforts, such as the HerbaAsimor product. This product was derived from Indonesia’s natural resources, and it tends to increase the quality and quantity of breast milk.
“HerbaAsimor, which contains extracts of katuk leaves, torbangun leaves, and the active fraction of snakehead fish, aids in the improvement of breast milk quality and quantity. According to the findings of PT Dexa Medica’s consumer study, as many as 8 out of 10 nursing women benefit from HerbaAsimor,” Mr. Maret Yudianto revealed.
Another technological breakthrough is the Teman Bumil application, which has 3.7 million users in Indonesia since 2017. Through the collaboration of midwives, this application enables midwives to easily provide education about stunting prevention to expecting women,” stated Mother Ruth Retno Dewi, Chief Operations Officer.