The Importance of Posyandu in Preventing Stunting

658

Posyandu is a community based health effort (Upaya Kesehatan Berbasis Masyarakat/UKBM) organized by the community with the support of health workers. The activities in Posyandu are known as the five-table system, consisting of: (1) registration, (2) weighing, (3) charging the card to healthy (KMS), (4) health care, and (5) counseling. Posyandu is the leading role in giving the health and nutrition services to pregnant women and children. Nowadays, growth monitoring in most of the Posyandu is still based on weight indicators according to age. However, in some places it has been implemented as well as the height measurements according to age. This needs to be expanded throughout the Posyandu to be able to monitor the condition of stunting in children.

The role of Posyandu is so important in treating stunting to toddlers in Indonesia. Posyandu helps mothers to monitor the development of infant health so that growth problems can be detected as early as possible, so stunting can be prevented. The detected toddler stunting can of course be immediately followed up through referral to the health facility so that parents can get counseling, information, and Education (KIE) on the problem of nutrition and growth of children.

In addition, Posyandu also provides information dissemination activities on balanced nutrition and exclusive breast milk, infant and child feeding, and other activities aimed at enhancing the knowledge, attitudes and positive behaviors of the toddler’s mother in preventing stunting in the balms.