Indonesia already had a stunting problem. COVID-19 is making it worse

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 there has been a surge in the incidence of stunting from malnutrition in children under the age of five in West Nusa Tenggara.

Parking workers share a break and a cigarette. What happens to his children when the work runs out and he still needs to smoke? Source: by jokokeren13's photos/Creative Commons

Indonesia faces a challenge in eradicating the stunting of children’s physical development, particularly in eastern Indonesia.  For the families of West Nusa Tenggara, COVID-19 has exacerbated children’s malnutrition.  There are a number of obvious and not so obvious explanations. The team at KBR 68H report on a worrying trend.

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Children in eastern Indonesia face difficult futures for a number of reasons including educational opportunity and health. Source: Photo by Fadil Basymeleh/Creative Commons