Challenges and Assets for Promoting Early Childhood Development in Indonesia: A Health Statistics Review from a Community Health Perspective

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Background: Although early childhood development is important, there are limited health statistics reviews related to the early childhood development in Indonesia. This study organized statistical health information across 33 Indonesian provinces to assess ongoing challenges and existing assets for improving early childhood development. Information about early childhood development in Indonesia between 2007 and 2013 was obtained through data supplied by the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics. Methods: The information collected was organized into five domains of early childhood development: health, nutrition, responsive care giving, early learning, and security and safety. Challenges and assets in Indonesia were assessed in terms of early childhood development. Results: Our results indicated that although the child mortality rate decreased between 2007 and 2013, it remained higher than the global average, with large disparities between provinces. Background factors influencing child mortality rates included the limited availability of health services, large catchment areas for puskesmas (community health centers), parents' limited caregiving responsiveness, and limited opportunities for parents to achieve advanced education. However, our results also revealed several important assets, including the existence of community health posts, alert village programs, community volunteers, and a large number of nurses and midwives; Conclusions: To improve early childhood development in Indonesia, it is important to empower parents to utilize these community health-related assets. Nurses and kaders (community health volunteers) should promote parents' enhanced awareness of child health and development.