Papua’s Movement Towards Zero Stunting for a Healthy and Quality Generation
By: Sylvia Mote
Efforts to reduce stunting rates in Indonesia continue to show progress, but significant challenges remain, particularly in eastern regions like Papua. Based on the 2024 Indonesian Nutritional Status Survey (SSGI), the national stunting prevalence has decreased to 19.8% from 21.6% in 2022. However, the ambitious target of 14% as stipulated in Presidential Regulation Number 72 of 2021 requires extra hard work from all elements of the nation. Papua is both strategic and critical in this ambitious mission due to the geographical, social, and cultural complexities that influence children’s nutritional quality.
The Papua Provincial Government has affirmed its commitment through the launch of the Foster Parents to Prevent Stunting Movement (Genting), a collaborative initiative led by Deputy Governor Aryoko Rumaropen. This program is not merely a ceremonial activity, but a concrete manifestation of cross-sectoral concern designed as a sustainable social movement. Through Genting, every official and stakeholder within the local government is encouraged to become Foster Parents for children at risk of stunting in various regencies. This initiative is expected to strengthen a community-based approach that fosters a sense of shared responsibility for the growth and development of Papua’s next generation.
Aryoko explained that Genting is part of the 100-day work achievements of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Papua, which have been integrated into the transitional Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD). This approach unites various cross-sectoral programs, from health and education to food security, within a single collaborative system. The local government places improving the quality of human resources as a key pillar of Papua’s development towards 2030, with stunting as a fundamental indicator of success.
On the ground, concrete steps are also evident in various regencies. Nabire Regency, for example, won first place in the Central Papua Province-wide Stunting Reduction Acceleration Competition. The Head of the Nabire Regency Development Planning Agency (Bapperida), Dr. H. Mukayat, credited this achievement to the collective work of all stakeholders, from regional officials to private partners. He emphasized that this success was not a coincidence, but rather the result of consistent implementation of national regulations, particularly Presidential Regulation 72 of 2021, which is now being adapted more efficiently in the regions.
Nabire Regency implemented four key convergence actions as a simplification of the previous eight, resulting in faster and more effective coordination. As a result, the implementation of nutrition programs, maternal-child health education, and data-based monitoring has become more integrated. However, this administrative success is not yet fully reflected in prevalence rates. The 2024 SSGI data shows the stunting prevalence in Nabire at 21.7%, although the internal e-PPGBM survey showed a downward trend to 12.9%. This discrepancy reflects methodological challenges in data collection but also illustrates the continued need for consistency in reporting and verification systems at the field level.
Nabire Deputy Regent, H. Burhanuddin Pawennari, emphasized that stunting is not simply a matter of height, but a serious problem that threatens the quality of future human resources. He encouraged all parties to understand stunting as an issue of nutrition and parenting, not heredity. This perspective is crucial for shifting the societal paradigm and fostering collective awareness that every family plays a vital role in prevention.
The central government continues to strengthen support for Papua through integrated policies across the health, food, education, and community empowerment sectors. The whole-of-government approach initiated by the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture (Kemenko PMK) serves as a guideline for the region to build a stunting management system based on data and concrete actions. Papua, with its unique social characteristics, requires contextual policy adaptations, while remaining grounded in the national principle: accelerating stunting reduction must place children at the center of development.
Cross-sector synergy is key to success. The Health Office, the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Office, the Population Control and Family Planning Office, and partner institutions such as the Wahana Visi Indonesia Foundation and PT Freeport Indonesia, play an active role in supporting monitoring and evaluation activities. This collaboration is not merely a formality, but a manifestation of the integration of government policy and civil society participation. In every program, the local government emphasizes the importance of data-driven innovation so that each intervention is measurable and targeted.
