Stunting reduction program from oil and gas companies.
The Community Health Center (Puskesmas) has received much appreciation from the community after distributing Tera 100 milk and eggs to children under five years of age (toddlers) who have growth and developmental disorders due to chronic malnutrition and repeated infections, commonly known as stunting (tengkes).
"Many residents felt greatly helped by being given this milk. Some stunted children, who were initially very thin, gradually gained weight," said Susi Marlina, the Person in Charge of Health Promotion at the North Aceh Health Office, on Monday, October 6, 2025.
Tera 100 milk, or F100 milk, is a special formula for children with malnutrition or stunting, designed to provide balanced nutrition. It is ideally used during the transitional phase to prepare children for greater energy and fluid intake.
The assistance in the form of Tera 100 milk and eggs is one of the programs provided by Mubadala Energy, an energy company from the United Arab Emirates that is currently exploring for natural gas in Aceh. According to Susi, stunting is a primary concern for Mubadala Energy when implementing its corporate social responsibility (CSR) for communities surrounding its exploration areas.
Since 2022, Mubadala Energy has provided assistance to the people of North Aceh, focusing on four community health centers (Puskesmas): Muara Satu Lhokseumawe, Paya Bakong and Syamtalira Aron North Aceh, and Pandrah Bireuen.
"Before providing assistance, they first discussed with us which areas were prioritized, what their needs were, what kind of assistance could be provided, and who would be the beneficiaries," said Susi.
She recalled that when the COVID-19 virus hit Indonesia, stunting was also a top priority to be addressed immediately. Therefore, she advised Mubadala Energy to focus on addressing stunting.
Because of the issue of stunting, the North Aceh Health Office requested that the equipment at the integrated health posts (Posyandu) be repaired, which were inadequate. Consequently, four Posyandus were selected to receive assistance from Mubadala Energy.
"The Posyandu cadres who received the assistance were very happy. Finally, their Posyandu was fully equipped, with equipment, vitamins for children and pregnant women, and even green bean porridge provided by Mubadala Energy. Usually, the equipment at these Posyandus is very minimal," said Susi, recalling the assistance.
After two years of providing Posyandu equipment, Mubadala Energy finally distributed much-needed assistance to the community: supplementary feeding (PMT) such as Tera 100 milk and eggs.
This was not without reason. According to her, at that time, many areas in Aceh were experiencing crop failures, making it difficult for the community to obtain adequate food, especially for stunted children, and their families were in extreme poverty. Therefore, the PMT program was essential for the community at that time.
"Our officers would distribute aid such as Tera 100 milk, eggs, and vitamins to children and pregnant women. Nutrition officers would then monitor the community after the PMT was provided," explained Susi.
After PMT, Susi explained that Mubadala Energy also focused on providing assistance to pregnant women. This includes not only food and vitamin intake, but also the cleanliness of their homes. In North Aceh, she noted, many residences still lack adequate bathroom, laundry, and toilet (MCK) facilities.
"Thank God, this year, we were granted the opportunity to build toilets in six residences occupied by pregnant women. Although it's not a large number, we are very grateful to receive this kind of assistance," she said.
Susi stated that all efforts made by various parties—including Mubadala Energy—to address stunting have finally borne fruit. In August 2025, the stunting rate in North Aceh was 1,174 children, a decrease from 1,507 children in January 2025 out of a total of 41,156 children under five in North Aceh.
"CSR from companies like Mubadala Energy is excellent. As a result, improvements in stunting are starting to be felt; stunting has indeed decreased, which is very good. But we acknowledge that this is not easy. Changing people's behavior is very difficult," he explained.
Mubadala Energy's Superintendent of Social Partnerships, Ruly Bernaputra, said that addressing stunting in Aceh, especially North Aceh, is urgently needed because, based on data from the Indonesian Nutrition Status Survey (SSGI) released on December 27, 2021, Aceh has the third highest number of stunted children in Indonesia.
The company has begun focusing on tackling stunting in its operational areas, and this assistance has had a positive impact on the Acehnese community.
"We are very pleased that according to SSGI data as of 2024, Aceh is no longer ranked third among the highest stunting rates in Indonesia. It currently ranks seventh nationally. This is still high, but we continue our efforts to assist in tackling it in Aceh," he said.
According to Ruly, four community health centers (Puskesmas) have been receiving intensive stunting assistance from Mubadala Energy since 2022. Each year, at least 25 children and/or pregnant women suspected of stunting receive four months of intervention, with the goal of eliminating stunting through PMT (Food and Nutritional Supplements) and regular monitoring.
In 2025, the program was expanded to include a Clean and Healthy Living Behavior (PHBS) approach, building six toilets in the Syamtalira Aron area for pregnant women at risk of stunting.
"This is our effort to help create a healthier environment and support children's growth and development from the womb," said Ruly.
Susi acknowledged that effectively addressing stunting is a challenge for the government—especially in North Aceh. Changing behavior is not easy for officials when communicating to the public about the importance of healthy eating and maintaining a clean environment.
Therefore, assistance from Mubadala Energy, which focuses on addressing stunting, is a significant help to the government. She hopes that targeted and effective assistance like this will continue, so that the people of Aceh can truly feel the impact.
"What Mubadala Energy provides, such as Tera 100 milk, vitamins, and eggs, is very useful for the recipients. Furthermore, we have also built toilets in the homes of pregnant women at risk of stunting. We hope that Mubadala Energy will never tire of providing the best to the community, especially those in North Aceh," she concluded.[]