Singaraja- Stunting cases are still a problem in Indonesia, including in Bali. This has come to the attention of the Representatives of the Bali Province National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN). Preventive measures continue to be encouraged, one of which is by collaborating with the University of Education of Ganesha (Undiksha). The largest state campus in North Bali is committed to supporting this movement.
Prevention efforts have been socialized directly to students at the Undiksha Campus, Singaraja, Wednesday (23/3/2022). The activity was attended directly by the Head of BKKBN Bali Representative, dr. Ni Luh Gede Sukardiasih, M.For.,M.A.R.S. He is also a resource person with Undiksha lecturer, Dr. Risa Panti Ariani, M.Sc. Besides that, the Deputy Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Cooperation of Undiksha, Dr. Gede Rasben Dantes, S.T., M.T.I., also serves as a keynote speaker.
After the socialization, Sukardiasih said the stunting rate in Bali was 10.9 percent according to NSBI 2021. Under these conditions, prevention efforts must be intensified. He invited all parties, starting from upstream, namely teenagers, couples of childbearing age, prospective brides, pregnant women, and mothers giving birth to collaborate.
She further conveyed, in an effort to handle and prevent stunting, his party had approached all levels of society, starting from the village of Yowana or truni, the Traditional Village Assembly, to the Balinese wife’s krama. “We count all. Schools too, via social media. We also have an application to monitor,” she explained.
In the technological era, BKKBN also provides online counseling through an application that has been prepared and supported by trained and certified counselors. “So social media also plays a role now, the most important role is now the media because children are now IT literate. The more solid we move, the faster we can achieve the reduction of stunting in 2024,” he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chancellor of Undiksha, Rasben Dantes said Undiksha as an institution engaged in education and teaching, research, and community service is committed to contributing to tackling stunting cases in Bali, especially in Buleleng Regency which is the campus location area. “Prevention is done together. Not only carried out by BKKBN, the government. But we in academic institutions also have to contribute in this regard,” he said.
He gave an example, prevention efforts through education and teaching can be through the integration of parenting knowledge to students, then it can be disseminated to the community around where they live. “Including Merdeka Learning Campus activities through teaching assistance in education units. They can provide earlier information to students at the elementary to high school levels as well as through village-building activities. So we open the door for the BKKBN to jointly carry out stunting prevention,” he said.
He added that Undiksha already has a stunting study center. It is one of the research groups that collaborate between faculties. There is a Faculty of Medicine, a Faculty of Education, and a Faculty of Engineering and Vocational Studies. This group carries out several activities, both from education, and system development to be able to have accurate data regarding children who are stunted and adolescents who are in critical condition. “This is our target. Provide information to youth. It’s not just people who are married,” he concluded. (hms)
