Behind the Scenes of #AksiBergizi Activities

Anemia is one of the public health problems in Indonesia that can be experienced by all age groups from toddlers, teenagers, and pregnant women to the elderly. Riskesdas 2018 shows the prevalence of anemia in children aged 5-14 years is 26.8% and at the age of 15-24 years is 32%. This means that about 3 out of 10 children in Indonesia suffer from anemia.

To overcome this, the government has made various efforts through balanced nutrition education, food fortification, and supplementation of Blood-Adding Tablets (TTD). Iron supplementation was started in 2015 by taking 1 tablet of iron tablets per week throughout the year for young girls aged 12-18 years who are in junior high/equivalent and high school/equivalent education levels. Although the administration of TTD to adolescent girls has been carried out, the prevalence of anemia is still quite high. Many factors influence, one of which is the lack of compliance of young women in consuming iron tablets. The results of Riskesdas 2018, show that the proportion of young women who received iron tablets in the last 12 months at school was 76.2%, but only 1.4% took iron tablets as recommended.

Based on these conditions, UNICEF initiated the #AksiBergizi activity and began carrying out these activities in 2018 in Klaten and West Lombok Districts through advocacy, school and community mobilization, multi-sector coordination, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation.

The #AksiBergizi activity is carried out with three main interventions, namely (1) Breakfast and Drinking Iron together at school/madrasah every week; (2) Multi-sectoral nutrition education to promote healthy eating and physical activity; and (3) Communication for behavior change that is relevant and comprehensive. The implementation of the #AksiBergizi program is of course integrated with TRIAS UKS, namely health education, health services, and fostering a healthy environment.

The #AksiBergizi pilot project carried out in 30 schools in Klaten Regency and in 30 schools in West Lombok Regency reaped interesting results. After the intervention was carried out, there was an increase in student's knowledge about nutrition, an increase in the proportion of adolescents who had a positive attitude towards iron tablets and girls who consumed iron tablets every week, as well as an increase in adolescents who did 60 minutes of physical activity every day and consumed fruits and vegetables. The evaluation also showed that the proportion of adolescent girls who took a weekly TTD was 12 times more likely to increase after the intervention.

Activation of the #AksiBergizi Movement

In line with the results of the intervention, the #AksiBergizi Movement is believed to be one of the strategic efforts in increasing adherence to iron tablet consumption in adolescent girls, which is also an indicator of specific nutrition intervention services in accelerating stunting reduction. The #AksiBergizi movement will be carried out simultaneously in 12 priority provinces (Aceh, North Sumatra, West Java, East Java, Central Java, Banten, NTB, NTT, West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan). 

Starting the movement, the Ministry of Health activated #AksiBergizi activities in 4 selected schools in the Bogor Regency area, including SMPN 1 Cibinong, SMAN 1 Cibinong, SMAN 2 Cibinong, and SMKN 1 Cibinong. This activity involves relevant cross-sectors at the central and regional levels and all school residents. 

The day before the implementation of the activity, each school is accompanied by a local health center to carry out Hb checks/screening for adolescent girls in grades 7 and grade 10. Hopefully, this Hb examination can be carried out periodically to monitor the number of cases of anemia in adolescent girls. 

The activity which took place on Thursday, July 21, 2022, was attended directly by the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, accompanied by the Director General of Public Health, Secretary of the Directorate General of Public Health, Director of Health Promotion and Community Empowerment, Head of the Bureau of Communication and Public Services, and Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Health. 

The #AksiBergizi series of events consisted of the joint exercise, breakfast together, drinking TTD, and filling out the CERIA application together, and continued with an educational session through interactive games. The series of course does not stop on that day, but is expected to run regularly every week according to the agreement and willingness of each school. Therefore, the role of school leaders, teachers, parents, students, and all residents around the school is very important. 

It doesn't just stop at these 4 schools, the #AksiBergizi activity is also expected to be carried out in all SMP/SMA/equivalent in 12 priority provinces and even throughout Indonesia. All schools are expected to participate in carrying out #AksiBergizi activities regularly as an effort to improve adolescent nutrition and prevent anemia in adolescent girls. Of course, the success of this #AksiBergizi needs to be supported by the involvement and collaboration of cross-sectors.

Along with the activities carried out in schools, the #AksiBergizi activity was also disseminated through various social media with the hashtags/hashtags #CegahStuntingituPenting and #AksiBergiziBikinGlowing. This campaign is expected to motivate teenagers to consume iron tablets every week and eat foods that contain animal protein, such as eggs, chicken, meat, fish, etc.

Let's support #AksiBergizi because #PreventStuntingIt's Important and #AksiBergiziBikinGlowin