Many countries experience high rates of malnutrition, particularly in children. Since 2018, Indonesia has demonstrated rapid progress in addressing this issue with the prevalence of stunting among children under five declining from 30.8% in 2018 to just 19.8% in 2024. The foundation of this success is a national strategy based on global best practices and driven by political leadership across all layers of government¡ªfrom the national level down to districts and villages. Significantly, over 20 line ministries, 38 provinces, 514 districts, and nearly 85,000 villages are aligned in their collective efforts to improve nutrition nationwide.
Indonesia has learned a lot in achieving this impressive turnaround. In June 2025 Indonesia¡¯s Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) hosted delegations from Pakistan, the Philippines, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, countries facing similar challenges and looking to design their own high-impact interventions to address them. ¡°The participants showed a great deal of interest and asked many questions,¡± said Ms Diah Lenggogeni, Director of Public Health and Nutrition with BAPPENAS.
The knowledge sharing event, supported by the World Bank, Advance UHC, and many other partners, gave visiting delegates from ministries including health and finance, an opportunity to learn more about how Indonesia has been implementing its multisectoral approach. This included how the government is refining policies and strategies, utilizing results-oriented budgeting and financing to enhance nutrition through quality primary health care services, strengthening implementation support at local levels, and building monitoring systems that reinforce ongoing improvement in the approach.
