Ministry, BGN align policies to strengthen MBG for mothers, children

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Population and Family Development and the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) are aligning policies to strengthen the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children under five.

Minister of Population and Family Development Wihaji said in a press release received here on Friday that efforts to foster a healthier generation of Indonesians begin at the very start of life, as ensuring adequate nutrition for mothers and children is a key measure to prevent stunting.

As stunting can be caused by poor nutrition, he said, the implementation of the MBG program for the three priority groups is vital.

"This program represents the state's presence in addressing stunting by meeting nutritional needs," he stressed.

Wihaji added that the success of the MBG for the priority groups depends not only on the distribution of nutritious meals but also on stronger collaboration among ministries and agencies.

In this regard, data synchronization is a vital step to ensure that the assistance is well-targeted and that program outcomes can be accurately measured.

Furthermore, he underscored the need to ensure that program implementation takes geographical conditions into account, particularly in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) areas, and called for support for field workers who serve as the vanguard of the program on the ground.

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"Varying incentives based on workload and regional conditions, as well as providing employment social security protection for field workers, must be our shared priority," the minister said.

Additionally, BGN Deputy Head Agustina Arumsari emphasized the importance of using aligned data across agencies as the foundation for program implementation.

"We must study the data sources and the collection methods so that we eventually have near-valid data that can serve as a shared reference for both the Ministry of Population and Family Development and BGN," she stated.

Targeting 82.9 million beneficiaries nationwide, the MBG program was launched in early 2025 to improve the nutritional status of children under five, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and schoolchildren up to the high school level.

The Indonesian government has decided to suspend the free meal deliveries throughout the school holidays for a thorough evaluation aimed at improving the program's implementation.

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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti, Raka Adji

Editor: Bayu Prasetyo

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