In an effort to reduce stunting rates comprehensively, the government currently has implemented efforts through specific nutrition interventions and sensitive nutrition interventions. In terms of specific interventions, these are those that directly address the causes of stunting and are generally provided by the health sector, such as food intake, infection prevention and maternal nutritional status. Sensitive interventions involve activities related to indirect causes of stunting, such as providing drinking water and sanitation, increasing access and quality of nutrition services and others that involve sectors other than health.
For this reason, carrying out this intervention requires the involvement of various parties, including opinion leaders, such as religious figures who play a role in spreading religious education and being role models in society. By collaborating with preachers, kiai and ustaz, the Faculty of Public Health (FKM) Universitas Indonesia (UI) carried out community service with the theme of Increasing Nutritional Literacy among Religious Leaders in the Context of Reducing Stunting in Lebak Regency, Banten. Head of Community Service FKM UI Dr. Ir. Asih Setiarini, M.Sc., said that this training activity aims to increase the nutritional literacy of religious leaders, so that it can be used as a topic for religious lectures and provide messages to the public about nutrition and steps to prevent stunting.
This is also in line with the 2023 National Halaqah activities organized by the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia which carries the theme “Involvement of Religious Counselors, Da’i and Da’iyah to Support the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction”. The Minister of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, said that religious instructors and preachers can take the role of preparing stunting material in every sermon, lecture and tausiyah so that the public has an understanding of health issues, especially stunting.
In its implementation, this community service activity began with a pre-test and providing material to 17 local preachers, kiai and ustaz. The material presented includes understanding stunting, why preventing stunting is important, how to measure stunting, the impact of stunting, causes of stunting, and balanced nutrition. Bayu Hadiana Trenggono, S.IP., M.Si, as Head of Kalanganyar Subdistrict, Lebak Regency, appreciated the community service program activities carried out by FKM UI.
“The government’s focus on stunting cannot be done alone, but requires collaboration between sectors. Thank God, providing education to religious leaders in Kalanganyar District by the FKM UI Nutrition Department Team can increase the knowledge of preachers, kiai and ustaz in handling stunting, so that in the future these religious leaders can convey their understanding of what stunting is and its handling to the community,” said Bayu.
The community service was held in the Kalanganyar District Office Hall, Lebak Regency, Monday (27/11), together with Dr. Ir. Asih, the FKM UI Community Service Team consists of Ir. Siti Arifah Pujonarti, MPH.; Nurul Dina Rachmawati, S.Gz., M.Sc.; Mardatilah, SKM.; and Wibisana Nauval.