Seputarkarawang.com - Karawang, The Karawang Regency Government has officially set an ambitious target to reduce the prevalence of stunting to reach 14.08 percent by 2026. The Deputy Regent of Karawang, Maslani, emphasized that achieving this target is part of the region's big mission in creating a healthy generation in the future. This step is a top priority to ensure that children in Karawang have strong competitiveness through optimal physical and cognitive growth.As a concrete step, the Karawang Regency Government has started the Supplementary Feeding (PMT) movement by optimizing the potential of local food ingredients. This nutritional intervention program specifically targets pregnant women and toddlers as priority groups who need immediate nutritional intake. The use of local food was chosen because it is abundantly available and contains essential nutrients that are really needed during the First 1,000 Days of Life (HPK).This strategy is in line with the direction of the Governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi, who prioritizes a massive reduction in the number of child growth disorders throughout the West Java region by 2026. Maslani emphasized that the success of this program really depends on the accuracy of targets in the field. He instructed all levels of regional officials not to just carry out routine agendas, but to ensure that the quality of nutritional assistance is truly maintained in the hands of the community.
"We have to be serious about handling toddler nutrition," stressed Maslani in his official statement in Karawang, Friday (10/4/2026). Until the beginning of this year, the stunting rate in Karawang was still recorded at 17.6 percent. It is this difference that we want to pursue through permanent improvements in health status, so that it is not just a matter of chasing temporary weight gain, but also improving children's quality of life on an ongoing basis.Technically, stunting is a developmental disorder caused by chronic malnutrition and recurrent infections. This condition is usually characterized by the child's height being below the WHO growth curve standard (-2 SD). If not treated early, the impact can be permanent on the child's metabolism and intelligence. Therefore, education regarding parenting and eating patterns is an important pillar in this movement which is being promoted.In addition to interventions for toddlers, the Karawang Regency Government is also expanding the reach of the program to prospective brides and pregnant mothers in order to carry out prevention from the pre-conception period. This preventive step is taken to break the cycle of failure to grow from the root of the problem. With synergy between the government and public awareness in utilizing nutritious local food, Karawang is optimistic that the national stunting reduction target can be achieved on time.
