Badung's Wider Child Health Register Shows a 2.8% Stunting Rate

In brief: A broader child nutrition reporting system in Badung, Bali, has recorded approximately 485 children under five with stunting, equivalent to 2.8% of those covered. Local officials say the change from 2.5% in 2025 largely reflects wider data collection, so the two figures are not directly comparable.

More children are being counted, but the trend remains uncertain

The figures were discussed at a district coordination meeting on 21 October 2026 and reported by local authorities and ANTARA on 22 October. Under ePPGBM, Indonesia's electronic community-based nutrition reporting system, Badung recorded 440 children under five with stunting in 2025, equivalent to 2.5%. Its 2026 figure is around 485 children, or 2.8%.

The reporting pool has changed. According to Deputy Regent Bagus Alit Sucipta, the 2025 data relied on children brought to Posyandu, Indonesia's community health posts. In 2026, reporting was extended to official healthcare facilities across Badung. That expansion can identify children missing from earlier records; the increase of 0.3 percentage points cannot, by itself, establish a comparable increase in the underlying rate of stunting.

Stunting is defined by the World Health Organization as a child's height falling substantially below the expected range for their age. It is associated with longer-term nutritional and health conditions. These Badung figures come from local service reporting, not a separate population-wide survey covering all of Bali or Indonesia.

Record verification is due by the end of November

Badung has instructed local health and family-support teams to verify and update records of affected children and at-risk households by the end of November 2026. This is a deadline for the data-checking exercise; officials have not specified that a revised public report will be released on that date.

The district also outlined a broader response. Posyandu services are being strengthened, including outreach to households, health monitoring and nutrition education. The administration's 22 October account describes programmes supporting expectant mothers and families at risk, alongside care for children already identified. ANTARA also reported that special medical-purpose nutritional products are among the interventions available when clinically indicated. None of these announcements establishes automatic eligibility for every family.

What local parents can take from the announcement

For families in Badung, the expanded reporting network may make it easier to record a child's growth and arrange follow-up. Parents concerned about a child's growth can seek an assessment through a Posyandu or a Puskesmas, a public primary healthcare centre, and ask how measurements will be reviewed over time. A districtwide percentage cannot assess an individual child's health or replace a clinical evaluation.

The policy discussion concerns Badung Regency, not every district in Bali. Service access, charges and eligibility for particular support programmes should be confirmed with the provider, especially by non-Indonesian residents. The 2026 numbers remain the reported figures under the expanded system while local teams carry out their verification work.