Given the persistently high rates of maternal and infant mortality as well as stunting cases, the Pemalang Regency Health Office, in collaboration with relevant cross-sectoral stakeholders, held a coordination meeting on accelerating the reduction of maternal and infant mortality (AKI-AKB) and stunting. The meeting took place on Thursday, December 1, 2022, at the Lingga Room, 2nd Floor, R-Gina Hotel, Pemalang.
The keynote speakers included Dr. Dra. Ayun Sriatmi, M.Kes (Lecturer at the Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University), who discussed the optimization of stakeholder roles in accelerating the reduction of maternal and infant mortality and stunting. Another speaker was Dr. Nirmala, M.Epid from the Central Java Provincial Health Office. The event was attended by all relevant stakeholders, including heads of regional government agencies (OPD), sub-district heads, village heads, military commanders (Danramil), police chiefs (Kapolsek), and heads of community health centers (Puskesmas) across Pemalang Regency.
In her presentation, Ayun Sriatmi highlighted empirical evidence demonstrating the challenges in reducing maternal and infant mortality. These challenges include sectoral ego and institutional gaps, reluctance to acknowledge maternal deaths in certain areas, suboptimal stakeholder support, and the fact that reducing AKI-AKB is often prioritized in policies but not in budgeting. The main issues lie in coordination, collaboration, and communication among stakeholders, as well as a lack of advocacy skills. Commitment is identified as the key strategy for successfully reducing maternal and infant mortality and stunting, as it must be realized in action rather than merely stated.