INDONESIA

Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world, is witnessing rapid changes in population demographics. It also houses the fourth-largest child population in the world. Around one-third of children under five are stunted, reaching 30.8% in 2018, declining from 37% in 2013. The country faces a double burden of malnutrition, as both over and undernutrition are found to co-exist.

DOUBLE BURDEN

In recent years, Indonesia has made great strides in reducing poverty and improving child well-being. The government continues to work towards uplifting children and young people living in poverty, expanding equitable access to healthcare, education, shelter, safety and nutrition to children.

Geographically, Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, remains prone to natural disasters, including earthquakes, tidal waves, floods, fires and volcanic eruptions.
The country also witnesses an evolving demographic. With rapid urbanization, roughly two-thirds of the population will move from rural areas to cities in 2030.
Such a divide also accentuates inequality among children with differential availability of learning opportunities, nutrition, safety, and more. All these factors pose to impact child development significantly.
Increased incidences of stunting are currently linked to chronic undernutrition and inadequate benefit from feeding practices and complementary foods.

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OUR WORK IN INDONESIA

The Hub's whole-child approach aims to bring cohesion to the different policy aspects besides designing interventions at the various stages of child development.

The hub works at the grassroots level to synchronise with the Indonesian landscape.

Intervention Studied:

Egg Intervention:

To assess whether supplementation with three boiled chicken eggs per week for six months, starting from the second trimester of pregnancy until delivery, influences epigenetic signatures linked with stunting and cognitive deficit in infants, compared to a control group of pregnant women who do not receive egg supplementation.