Indonesia Rushes 1,700 Nutrition Kitchens in Papua, NTT This Week

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is accelerating the construction and activation of Nutrition Service Units (SPPG) in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) regions. This initiative is a key part of improving the governance of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, with a target to complete these operations within the next week. BGN Head Sudaryono emphasized that this accelerated process is executed using a data-driven approach to ensure that nutritional interventions accurately target areas with the greatest need. The primary focus regions include Papua, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Maluku, and Nias. "Regions such as Papua, NTT, Nias, Maluku, North Maluku, and other remote areas are top priorities because the communities there are in dire need," Sudaryono stated on Thursday (6/8/2026). He further elaborated that the directives from the Coordinating Minister for Food, along with all ministries and agencies, aim to ensure that the implementation is swift, precise, and well-coordinated. The urgency in building SPPGs in 3T areas stems from the persistent high prevalence of stunting that continues to plague these regions. Notably, BGN has drastically reduced the target completion time for SPPGs from an initial estimate of one month to just one week. This aggressive timeline is being validated through cross-ministerial data mapping, leveraging data from the Ministry of Health, among other sources. "From this data, we overlay it with data from the Ministry of Health to identify which areas are priorities, those with high and very high stunting rates, and then we map them with data on existing ready-to-operate kitchens," Sudaryono explained. Through this objective, evidence-based mapping process, BGN has successfully identified around 1,700 nutrition kitchens that are prepared for operation in high-stunting risk areas. "God willing, starting next week, we will gradually release these ready facilities," he added. On a separate note, Sudaryono issued a stern warning to the public, urging them not to fall for inducements from irresponsible individuals who claim they can assist or expedite the application process for opening an SPPG. He firmly stated that all procedures are guaranteed to be transparent, accountable, and conducted strictly through the official system. "I assure you that no individual or entity can promise or facilitate the opening of an SPPG outside of the established official mechanisms," he asserted. Source: Detik