WFP Indonesia country director, Coco Ushiyama, said: “WFP is committed to Indonesia’s vision of food security for all – working with the government to reduce under-nutrition is one of our three core strategies.
“Proper nutrition is at the heart of all progress, contributing to the development of healthier, stronger and brighter citizens. It has an integral role in poverty reduction and sustainable economic development achievements. WFP is in Indonesia to work with all partners and leave the best of all possible legacies for the generations to come.”
While significant progress has been made in reducing the prevalence of underweight children in Indonesia, studies show that stunting in particular remains a challenge, especially among the youngest. The prevalence of chronic malnourishment (or stunting) among children nationwide was ranked at 35% by the Ministry of Health in 2010. Provinces such as Nusa TenggaraTimur (58%) and Papua (48%) registered a ‘very high’ prevalence of chronic malnourishment.
WFP’s nutrition policy focuses on delivering the right food, at the right time, in the right place and has a particular focus on the first 1,000 days of life, which is a critical window of opportunity where a poor diet can mean irreparable losses to physical and intellectual development.
WFP is working closely with the Indonesian government and the private sector on sustainable solutions to under-nutrition in the country, including the best ways to encourage dietary diversification and enhance and scale up access to nutritious foods through government social safety nets and the market.
Source: WFP
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