Minister Suharso Highlights the Impact of Smoking on Children’s Health
Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas Suharso Monoarfa highlighted the negative impact of parents’ smoking behaviour on children’s health when attending the Arifin Panigoro Dialogue with the theme of Health Emergency: Should Indonesia Ratify the FCTC to Protect the Young Generation, Monday 30/09/2024.
The minister revealed that Indonesia’s competitiveness is still lagging behind, with the Human Capital Index (HCI) only reaching 0.54. According to him, this value places Indonesia in 96th position out of 174 countries.
“This HCI shows that children born today are expected to reach only 54 per cent of their productivity potential after 18 years. One of the factors affecting HCI is child health, where one in three Indonesian children is stunted,” said the Minister.
“Stunting not only impacts physical growth, but also has the potential to cause cognitive limitations that can last a lifetime,” she added.
The Minister said that smoking behaviour has been shown to contribute to the stunting problem. According to her, children from smoking families are at risk of stunted growth due to the negative effects of smoking during pregnancy and nutritional disorders. Smoking can also lead to respiratory infections, which further deteriorates the child’s health.
In the above context, the Minister emphasised the importance of reducing the prevalence of stunting through interventions involving improved nutrition, better health services, as well as changes in community behaviour.
“Tobacco control is one of the key strategies in this endeavour, given its significant contribution to child and adolescent health,” she explained.
In addition to the above, the Minister also mentioned that controlling cigarette consumption is a priority in the 2020-2024 RPJMN. With a target of reducing the percentage of smokers among children aged 10-18 years to 8.7 per cent by 2024.
“This strategy includes increasing excise tax rates on tobacco products, banning cigarette advertisements, and expanding smoking cessation services,” the Minister said.
The discussion is expected to provide constructive views and recommendations for strengthening tobacco control policies in Indonesia.
The Minister appreciated the event organised by Rumah Kebangsaan and hoped that the information and recommendations generated can support the formulation of more effective and evidence-based policies for a healthier and more prosperous future of Indonesia.
Source: Bappenas
