18,000 PKB and PLKB Cadres Ready to Lead Free Nutritious Meal Program for Pregnant Women and Toddlers
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| PKB and PLKB cadres distributing free nutritious meal packages to pregnant women and toddlers at a community health post. |
Jakarta – A total of 18,000 Family Planning Extension Workers (PKB) and Field Officers (PLKB) are ready to be the frontline in implementing the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. This initiative targets pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, early childhood education (PAUD) children, and toddlers, especially those under 2 years old. This was announced by the Deputy Minister of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga), Ratu Ayu Isyana Bagoes Oka, during a discussion titled "The Role of Family Development in Welcoming Indonesia’s Golden Era 2045" held in Jakarta on Friday (8/9).
Isyana explained that the MBG program is not only aimed at school children but also targets pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, and PAUD children who have not been reached by the Ministry of Education and Culture's programs. “This MBG initiative is a concrete government step to ensure optimal nutrition from an early age, with our cadres at Kemendukbangga playing a vital role,” she said. In addition, Kemendukbangga collaborates with the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Home Affairs to form Family Assistance Teams (TPK), totaling 600,000 members nationwide. These teams consist of healthcare workers such as midwives and nurses, as well as PKK and family planning cadres who assist in distributing MBG at the community level.
Furthermore, Isyana emphasized the importance of good nutrition starting from the first 1,000 days of life, which she described as the most crucial period to prevent stunting. “The 1,000-day period doesn’t just start at birth but begins in the womb. Ensuring pregnant women receive nutritious food is key to developing future human resources,” she said. This program is also part of the family development goals outlined in Asta Cita 4, which focuses on improving human resource quality starting at the family level and from an early age.
With the active involvement of 18,000 PKB and PLKB cadres and hundreds of thousands of Family Assistance Team members, the government is optimistic that the MBG program can be distributed evenly and effectively. This effort is expected to accelerate the reduction of stunting rates and improve the quality of Indonesia’s future generations in preparation for Indonesia’s Golden Era 2045.
