USAID Building Healthy Cities Project Supports Stunting Prevention And Management In Makassar City
Makassar – Stunting is the result of chronic malnutrition in children and negatively affects bodily growth. Children with stunting are generally more prone to illnesses, and test below-average on cognitive functions. A high prevalence of stunting, in the long term, will also impact the economic outputs and productivity of Indonesia.
According to the 2019 Nutrition Status survey, the prevalence of stunting in Indonesia was 27.67%. This means on average one in four Indonesian children under five years old are stunted. Furthermore, the figure is high when compared to the threshold set by the World Health Organization at 20%.
Makassar is one of the Indonesian cities that has committed to eliminating stunting cases by 2024. In support of this goal, the United States Agency for International Development-funded Building Healthy Cities (BHC) project partnered with the Makassar City Government to organize and facilitate a 5-day Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) and Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition Training on Barrang Lompo island. The training took place on the 2nd to 6th December with participation from Makassar City Health Office’s Barrang Lompo Puskemas, 20 Barrang Lompo healthcare cadres, and with additional support from UNICEF.
BHC aims to refocus city policies, planning and services with a health equity lens while improving data-driven decision making for Smart Cities in three select locations including Indore (India), Makassar (Indonesia), Da Nang (Vietnam), and Kathmandu (Nepal). This global project is led by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the implementing partner for BHC in Makassar.
“BHC is happy to be working in concert with the Makassar City Health Office, Bappeda, and the citizens of Barrang Lompo island to complete a series of trainings relating to child health and well-being, including on this critical issue of stunting and underweight. We are lucky to be able to work with a set of facilitators who will bring best practices in child nutrition to this training,” stated Amanda Pomeroy-Stevens, BHC Project Director.
At the training, Son Ha Dinh, Coordinator of IOM in eastern Indonesia, expressed his gratitude to the Mayor of Makassar and the Head of the Health Department for the opportunity to further strengthen the partnership between Makassar city and IOM in carrying out activities that benefit children of Barrang Lompo Village.
The Head of Public Health, Makassar City Health Office also stated that stunting in Barrang Lompo Island was 11% as of 2019. This required an effective and efficient approach to address the problem. She also expressed appreciation to IOM through the BHC project for supporting the achievement of the healthy city programs, especially these efforts to prevent and manage stunting in Makassar City and specifically in Barrang Lompo Village.
This training, along with other initiatives, will support efforts to make Barrang Lompo Village, and Makassar City a healthier place to live as a whole.
Building Healthy Cities (BHC) is a five-year cooperative agreement funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under Agreement No. AID-OAA-A-17-00028, beginning September 30, 2017. BHC is implemented by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) with partners International Organization for Migration, Thrive Networks Global, and Urban Institute, and with support from Engaging Inquiry, LLC. This Project is made possible by the generous support of the American people through USAID. USAID administers the U.S. foreign assistance program providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries worldwide.
About IOM in Indonesia
Founded in 1951, the International Organization for Migration (IOM)-UN Migration is a leading intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. This is done by advancing understanding the issue of migration, assisting government in dealing with migration challengers, encouraging social and economic development through migration, and upholding the dignity and well-being of migrants, their families, and their communities. For more information about IOM in Indonesia, please kindly visit https://indonesia.iom.int/
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Ahmad Isa, MPH
BHC Project Officer
For interview request, please contact:
Ariani Hasanah Soejoeti
Media & Communication Officer
