Indonesia’s education ministry has unveiled three new evidence-based nutrition policy briefs in Jakarta, aiming to boost children’s health and educational outcomes through enhanced school nutrition programmes and regional cooperation.
Indonesia’s education ministry is pushing for nutrition policy that is grounded in evidence, as officials and regional experts used a meeting in Jakarta to unveil three new policy briefs aimed at improving children’s health and learning outcomes. The move came as the ministry and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Centre for Food and Nutrition, known as SEAMEO RECFON, stepped up cooperation on school health and nutrition.
At the opening of the 16th governing board meeting on Wednesday, ministry secretary-general Suharti said good nutrition is a basic شرط for effective education, arguing that even strong schools and capable teachers cannot fully support learning if children arrive hungry or undernourished. She also linked the new policy push to Indonesia’s Free Nutritious Meals programme, which is intended to reach 60 million pupils by 2027, and to recent government figures showing the country’s stunting rate fell to 19.8% in 2024 from 21.5% a year earlier.
SEAMEO RECFON director Rini Sekartini said the first brief calls for stronger micronutrient biomarker systems to support the 2026 Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey, including the use of multiplex immunoassay technology to improve the speed and accuracy of assessment. A second brief focuses on balanced nutrition guidance based on local foods; the centre said research on 4,219 pupils in 12 provinces found major shortfalls in micronutrient intake, including folate, calcium and vitamin A, and it has drawn up a seven-day menu cycle for schools and nutrition service units supporting the meals programme.
The third brief looks at school-based nutrition programmes across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, building on SEAMEO RECFON’s “Nutrition Goes to School” initiative, which has already supported schools in countries including Laos and Cambodia. The centre, one of SEAMEO’s regional hubs, said the effort is designed to connect science, policy and day-to-day practice, while also reinforcing Indonesia’s school health services and the government’s “7 KAIH” child habits campaign.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
