WHY IS it that in Indonesia, the role of stunting reduction is assigned to the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, and not to their Minister of Health? Do they know something that we do not know? Or is it simply because they take the problem more seriously than we do?
In Indonesia, stunting is treated not merely as a health issue but as a national development priority. It is managed at the Cabinet coordination level, because it is a problem that involves not only nutrition and healthcare, but also education, livelihood, sanitation, and local governance.
That makes sense. After all, stunting — children being too short for their age due to chronic undernutrition — is both a cause and a symptom of poverty.
WHAT IS STUNTING, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Stunting is not just about a child’s height. It is about a child’s future. According to UNICEF, stunted children are more likely to suffer from poor cognitive development, lower school performance, and reduced productivity as adults. In other words, stunting isn’t just a health crisis — it’s an economic and social one.
In the Philippines, the 2023 Expanded National Nutrition Survey revealed that about 26% of Filipino children under five were stunted. That means roughly one in four Filipino children is growing up physically and mentally disadvantaged before even reaching school age.
INDONESIA’S MODEL: COORDINATION AT THE TOP
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs oversees stunting reduction as part of a broad mandate that includes education, health, social welfare, and family development.
This official brings together the Ministries of Health, Education, Social Affairs, and Agriculture — aligning policies and funding toward a single goal: reducing stunting to below 14% by 2024.
They understood something important — that stunting is not only about feeding programs. It’s about clean water, maternal health, proper sanitation, and parental knowledge. It’s about creating communities where mothers have access to prenatal care, families can afford nutritious food, and children grow up in safe, healthy environments.
HOW IS THE PHILIPPINES COORDINATING ITS EFFORTS?
To be fair, the Philippines has begun taking steps in the right direction.
We now have the proposed Anti-Stunting Action Plan (ASAP) Council Act of 2025, filed by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. The bill seeks to establish a high-level council to lead a whole-of-government and whole-of-society strategy against stunting. The plan includes early childhood nutrition, maternal care, community education, and local government accountability.
In parallel, the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) — jointly led by the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with World Bank support — integrates nutrition, agriculture, maternal health, and food security programs. It targets local governments with the highest rates of stunting and builds their capacity to deliver services effectively.
But here’s the real question: Are these efforts truly coordinated? (To be continued)/PN
