This year should have been the beginning of a decade of concrete action to achieve targets set out in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. However, these ambitious targets now face a significant setback due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world.
The latest UN Sustainable Development Report 2020 indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to cause severe negative impacts on most SDGs, specifically SDG 1 (ending poverty), SDG 2 (ending hunger), SDG 3 (achieving health and prosperity) and SDG 8 (full employment and economic growth).
The SDG Academy Indonesia – a collaborative initiative among the UN Development Program (UNDP), Tanoto Foundation, an independent family philanthropy organisation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981, and the National Development Planning Ministry (PPN/Bappenas) – is a capacity-building program to build expertise between both government and non-government actors in implementing the SDGs at a local level.
Written by Arini Dina Yasmin, Tanoto Scholar from Brawijaya University
We are a team of eight students of Brawijaya University, three of whom are Tanoto Scholars: Adam Syarif Hidayatullah, Ismelia Novitasari, and myself, Arini Dina Yasmin, developing an educational stunting prevention smartphone app called SMAOTHER (Smart Mother).
The idea to create SMAOTHER came from Tanoto Foundation, an independent family philanthropy organisation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981. While participating in Tanoto Foundation training activities, we listened to presentations about their various programs to improve human capital development in Indonesia.
One of Tanoto Foundation’s areas of focus is contributing to the prevention of stunting in Indonesia. We looked more deeply into stunting, and it turns out the problem is very serious and complex in Indonesia. The stunting figure is still quite high in the country – around 27.7 per cent – according to the 2019 survey data from the Ministry of Health.
This inspired us to make an app to educate people on stunting prevention. We wanted to get involved and do something to help improve the quality of human resources in Indonesia.
We began the process of creating the app in March 2019. It took about two months of hard work to complete it. Each team member had a role in developing the app – data collection, content creation, or the technical process of making the app itself.
We often had to work late during that time. We even worked until dawn in the days nearing the deadline. Since starting the project, we were determined to spend time on it with the notion that we were going to create something that would be beneficial to the nation. As young people, we feel the need to be involved and offer solutions to existing issues. We can’t just stand idly by.
Our SMAOTHER application has several features. First, it contains educational information about stunting. It also contains news and tips on maternal and child health. The app features information about pregnancy and fetal development according to age, which users can use to compare with their own pregnancies.
SMAOTHER also allows users who have children below five years old to input their biodata (including the child’s age and weight) which will be sent directly to their nearest Posyandu (Child Health Centre) so that the centre can monitor the child’s health.
We are proud because our efforts have been recognised at several regional forums. In June 2019, our team won the gold medal in the education application category at the 2019 Young Inventors Exhibition (WYIE) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 2019 WYIE was attended by participants from 11 countries, including Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Qatar, Australia and China.
Right now, we are planning to further develop SMAOTHER by releasing it to the public. We hope this small step can help the government in preventing stunting in Indonesia.
More than one in four children in Indonesia under the age of five suffers from stunting. That’s more than the population of Jakarta, or equivalent to almost two Singapores.
Stunted growth is caused by a lack of adequate nutrition and results in life-long health problems, from reduced IQ to greater susceptibility to diabetes and cancer. There is also a huge economic cost, with Indonesia’s Ministry of Health estimating that the prevalence of stunting costs the country 2-3% of GDP, or as much as US$27 billion each year.
The good news is that the condition is easily preventable, but a lot of work remains if Indonesia is to achieve its target of bringing stunting down from 27.7% in 2019 to 20% by 2024.
That’s why Tanoto Foundation, an independent family philanthropy organisation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981, is holding Stunting Awareness Month, to raise awareness of this condition, how to prevent it, and how to treat it in kids who are already stunted.
What is stunting?
Stunting is when a child fails to grow to the proper height for his or her age. The main cause is poor nutrition in pregnant women, babies and toddlers.
Stunting is a form of malnutrition, but it’s more accurately described as under nutrition. Few people in Indonesia lack sufficient calories, but low awareness of balanced nutrition means that meals are often heavy on rice, with little protein or vegetables. Many parents also don’t understand the importance of breastfeeding, relying instead on formula which is not as nutritious for a baby.
In some areas, lack of clean water for sanitation and personal hygiene as well as limited access to health services can exacerbate the problem.
Stunting often begins in the womb due to a poor maternal diet, but symptoms typically don’t manifest themselves until the child is around two years old, when it becomes clear that the child is not growing as quickly as he or she should.
Why does stunting matter?
Stunting has huge costs for the child and for the economy. Stunted children have weakened immune systems, are more susceptible to diseases like diabetes and cancer, and are likely to die earlier than non-stunted individuals.
Brain development is affected too, resulting in lower IQs and reduced income in adult life. According to research by the WHO children who were stunted at age two completed a year less of schooling than non-stunted individuals, and were likely to earn 20% less as adults.
This impacts the country’s economy. The government has set a target of becoming the fifth largest economy in the world by 2045, buoyed in part by a demographic dividend from a ‘youth bulge’ entering the workforce in the coming decades. But if stunting remains at current levels, more than one quarter of those new workers will be less healthy and less productive than they should be, holding back the nation’s growth and condemning millions to poverty unnecessarily.
What can parents do?
Stunting is easily preventable with proper nutrition.
Mothers need to follow a balanced diet before pregnancy starts to ensure that the proper nutrients are passed on to the fetus.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Health recommends that a healthy meal should consist of around one third fruits and vegetables, one third carbohydrates like rice, and one third protein like meat, fish or vegetarian protein sources.
You should also practice proper hygiene, including washing your hands with soap and water before preparing or eating food.
Experts recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life, and husbands can play a role by supporting their wife’s decision to breastfeed.
And once the baby starts weaning, introduce fruit and vegetables into his or her diet.
How do you know if a child is stunted?
Children suffering from stunting typically weigh less than 2.5kg at birth, and grow more slowly than they should. They also often start teething later than non-stunted children.
The good news is that some of these effects can be reversed by following a balanced diet within the first 1,000 days of life, or up to the age of two.
If you think that your child may be stunted then you should seek advice from a medical professional.
What is the government doing?
The government launched the First 1,000 Days of Life Movement in 2013 which focused on fulfilling nutrition for children from the pregnancy phase (270 days) to two years old (730 days).
The government also launched the National Strategy to Accelerate Stunting Prevention in 2017, gathering 22 ministries and around US$14.6 billion commitments to implement various nutritional interventions. In 2018, this strategy targeted 100 districts with high stunting prevalence. The number of districts was increased to 160 in 2019, 360 districts in 2020, and finally all 514 districts and cities in 2021.
In the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2020-2024, efforts to accelerate stunting reduction are one of the priorities.
The government is aiming to get stunting under 20% in 2024, and some progress has been made. In 2007 36.8% of children were stunted, compared to 27.7% in 2019.
What is Tanoto Foundation doing?
Through our Early Childhood Education and Development program, we’re actively supporting the government’s efforts to prevent stunting. We invest in research that enables data-based decision making, and are working to strengthen care-giving in Indonesia to support children’s development.
