COMMUNICATION STRATEGY IN ACCELERATING STUNTING PREVENTION POLICY IN PURBALINGGA REGENCY

Abstract

Indonesia is a developing country with a low health index. The cause of the low health index is a lack of knowledge and education as well as health prevention and awareness of maintaining diet to avoid malnutrition or what is usually called stunting. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health, stunting is a lack of nutrition in babies during the first 1000 days of life that lasts a long time and causes delays in brain and child development. Based on data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the stunting prevalence rate in Indonesia in 2022 fell to 21.6% compared to the previous year in 2021 with a figure of 24.4%. The reduction in stunting rates is predicted to be 2.8% and by 2024 it will fall to 14%. This target is not difficult as long as we can consolidate and carry out follow-up actions to resolve the stunting problem. If you want to achieve a reduction in stunting of up to 14% in 2024, that means it must decrease by 3.8% for 2 consecutive years. This is done by communicating with the BKKBN and collaborating with other ministries and institutions. The government's efforts to encourage the acceleration of stunting prevention in Indonesia can produce satisfactory results. The government, through the BKKBN, can make efforts to overcome stunting by providing education regarding stunting prevention to the community through stakeholders who participate in achieving this goal. Understanding the dangers of stunting must be communicated and conveyed to the community because it will affect the quality of Indonesia's human resources in the future. This article discusses the communication strategies implemented by BKKBN in the context of policies to accelerate stunting reduction in Purbalingga Regency. The main focus of this article is to describe the communication approach used by BKKBN in an effort to increase public awareness and participation in stunting prevention programs. The main emphasis on achieving this goal is teenagers, expectant mothers, mothers with toddlers and posyandu cadres.