Jayapura – The Papua government is intensifying its efforts to combat stunting by distributing food reserve assistance in nine cities and districts, known collectively as Bumi Cenderawasih or the Land of the Bird-of-Paradise. This initiative is being spearheaded by the local agriculture and food government agencies.

According to Antara News Agency, head of the Papua Province Agriculture and Food Agency, the provincial government plans to prepare 39.99 tons of food reserve rice in 2023. The distribution has already begun in several districts, with allocations made to families at risk of stunting and those considered incapable of providing adequate nutrition. Siriwa provided specifics about the distribution, including 1.45 tons to Sarmi during the acting governor’s visit, 2.65 tons to Supiori, 5.21 tons to Yapen, and 2 tons to Waropen. Further distributions in other districts are scheduled for this week.

The urgency of these efforts is underscored by data from the Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI) from the Ministry of Health. In 2022, the stunting incidence in Papua increased to 34.6 percent, up from 29.5 percent in 2021, across 29 districts and cities. The government hopes that these measures will contribute to a decrease in stunting rates, aligning with the acting governor of Papua’s priority program.