The Rejang Lebong Regency Government continues to refine tactical steps in accelerating the reduction of stunting rates in its region. This step was realized through the dissemination of the results of the mentoring program Investing in Nutrition and Early Years (INEY) for the May–June 2026 period, which took place in the Regional Secretary's Meeting Room on Thursday (9/7/2026). This meeting became crucial to evaluate specific nutritional interventions and strengthen health services for mothers and children.
The strategic agenda was led directly by the Regional Secretary of Rejang Lebong Regency, Iwan Sumantri, accompanied by the Head of the Health Department, drg. Asep Setia Budiman. The event was also attended by representatives of the Bangun Jaya Health Center, the Tunas Harapan Health Center, and the INEY Team from the Bengkulu Health Ministry Polytechnic (Poltekkes Kemenkes Bengkulu) who acted as mentoring facilitators. Although the Acting Regent was unable to attend due to other official duties, the Regional Secretary ensured that the focus of the discussion remained optimal in order to formulate real solutions on the ground.
In his direction, Iwan Sumantri emphasized that the fight against stunting requires cross-sector synergy, starting from the bureaucratic ranks, medical personnel, village officials, to the active participation of the community. According to him, the data and findings from the results of this mentoring must be used as a strong foundation to evaluate performance and map out future health program improvements.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Rejang Lebong Health Department, drg. Asep Setia Budiman, presented the results of intensive monitoring in the working areas of the Bangun Jaya Health Center and the Tunas Harapan Health Center. The field team identified several fundamental issues, such as suboptimal antenatal care (ANC) checks, the presence of pregnant women with Chronic Energy Deficiency (KEK), malnourished toddlers, low access to proper sanitation, and basic immunization coverage that still needs to be increased.
Asep added that these obstacles are often triggered by non-medical factors, such as the prevalence of early marriage, the community's lack of understanding about balanced nutrition, and low awareness in utilizing health facilities. Responding to these findings, the Health Department is committed to following up by strengthening budget allocations, providing supporting facilities, intensifying Supplementary Feeding (PMT), and expanding education on clean and healthy lifestyles to the wider community.
