Towards stunting eradication in Indonesia: Time to invest in community health workers.

Abstract

In Indonesia, home to the fourth-largest children-under-five population globally, the stunting prevalence is among the highest in Asia. The detrimental and irreversible impacts of stunting warranted the government to aim for stunting eradication by 2030, with community health workers (CHWs) at the forefront of the program. With over 1.5 million Indonesian CHWs conducting monthly growth monitoring and counseling, the critical importance and cost-effectiveness of CHWs in stunting management are clear. However, several implementation challenges continue to hinder their maximum potential. This includes unclear recruitment processes, the nonprofessional status of CHWs, unclear incentive schemes, research and funding constraints, and unclear role of stakeholders. This commentary examines the current involvement of CHWs in the Indonesian stunting program, the remaining issues, and recommendations to mitigate the identified challenges. Improvements in the recruitment process, recognition, and incentivization system, as well as cross-sectoral collaboration, particularly in evidence creation and policy-research continuum, are crucial in improving the current program and achieve the goal of stunting eradication.