Pregnant Women, Breastfeeding Mothers, and Toddlers Become Top Priority Beneficiaries of MBG
Jakarta – Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers—collectively known as the 3B group—have been designated as the top priority beneficiaries of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program implemented by the government. Prioritizing the 3B group is aimed at strengthening nutritional fulfillment during the early stages of life while also supporting efforts to improve the quality of human resources in the future.
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) emphasized that the primary beneficiaries of the MBG program are the 3B group. The agency urged MBG partners to ensure that this vulnerable group receives priority attention.
“This is also where a misunderstanding has occurred. When an MBG kitchen is newly built by partners, the first beneficiaries that should be identified are toddlers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers,” said the Deputy Head of BGN, Sony Sonjaya.
He noted that around 77 countries have implemented school meal programs. However, Indonesia’s program goes beyond school meals because it also targets toddlers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
“This is the unique advantage of the MBG program. Only in Indonesia is there a meal program where the food is delivered directly to homes by cadres from community health centers, specifically for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. This is something that does not exist in other countries,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Population and Family Development and Head of the National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN), Wihaji, highlighted the crucial role of the Nutritional Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) in overseeing the distribution of MBG to the 3B group. According to him, the MBG program for the 3B group is a strategic step by the government to improve the nutritional quality of vulnerable populations while supporting the growth and development of future generations.
“What has already been implemented must continue to be closely monitored to ensure that MBG for the 3B group truly reaches pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers outside early childhood education (non-PAUD) as the intended beneficiaries,” Wihaji said.
He also stressed that the successful implementation of the MBG program requires strong synergy between the central government and regional administrations so that the program can run effectively down to the family level.
“This program requires cooperation between ministries at the central level and regional governments. We must support and strengthen one another. Regional governments serve as the extension of the central government in the regions as mandated by Law No. 23 of 2014,” he concluded.
