SERANG – Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto expressed strong commitment to reducing stunting rates by addressing its root causes from upstream to downstream. Policy design must not remain partial; rather, it should be comprehensive by accounting for diverse causes, underlying factors, and multi-sectoral stakeholders, including economic, healthcare, and educational sectors.

"At Kemendes PDT, we view stunting as more than mere malnutrition—there are underlying issues that must be resolved. Accelerating stunting reduction must start from the upstream drivers, including poverty, health access, and education," Minister Yandri emphasized during his opening address at the Central and Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Coordination Meeting (Rakor Monev) for the Convergence of Stunting Prevention and Accelerated Reduction in Banten Province Villages, held at the Banten Governor’s Pavilion on Tuesday (November 3, 2026).

"When economic activity thrives in villages, enabling residents to secure employment and generate income, poverty can be suppressed. Once poverty is controlled, stunting rates will naturally decline," Minister Yandri added.

Reducing stunting forms an integral part of the national priority program to realize Golden Indonesia 2045 through high-quality human resources, ensuring local natural wealth is fully leveraged. Consequently, Kemendes PDT continuously executes stunting prevention and accelerated reduction convergence strategies by partnering with diverse institutions.

"Our children must be protected, and to achieve this, we need a dedicated superteam. Reducing stunting inherently involves the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection—it represents a shared national imperative. We must all engage, and that engagement must come from the heart," Minister Yandri stated.

This stance aligns with remarks from Vice Governor of Banten A. Dimyati Natakusumah, who highlighted children as the vital generation driving Indonesia toward a better future through technological progress and optimal resource utilization.

Today's youth represent the forthcoming leaders who will determine the nation's trajectory as it reaches its centennial milestone, demanding utmost policy prioritization.

"Our children represent a monumental investment. If we fail to empower our children to surpass our achievements, we become the losers—we would be fools," the Vice Governor remarked.

The collaborative framework for stunting reduction demonstrated in Banten Province will be replicated across other regions to meet the national target of 17.5 percent by 2026.

Subsequent targets include reducing stunting to 16.3 percent in 2027, 15.2 percent in 2028, and 14.2 percent in 2029, paving the path toward the long-term target of 5 percent by 2045 to fulfill the Golden Indonesia vision.

Photo: Angga/Kemendes PDT 
Author: Ria/Kemendes PDT