Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said here on Friday that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the definition of universal healthcare (UHC) is all people having access to the full range of quality health services when and where they need them without financial hardship.
"The tasks are clear, BPJS handles the 'without financial hardship' part, whereas the Health Ministry must provide access to quality health services," he elaborated.
He stressed that without these three components, universal health coverage cannot be achieved.
Moreover, the ministry is also responsible for promoting healthy lifestyles among people, including through free health checkups (CKG).
He said that Indonesia’s UHC ranking, according to the WHO, has improved in 2025 due to efforts to expand access and enhance service quality.
Sadikin emphasized the need for a balance between curative care and promotive–preventive measures to prevent health spending from continuously increasing.
Without strong prevention efforts, the state will remain burdened by escalating healthcare costs, he warned.
"In all countries, health inflation exceeded the GDP, including in Indonesia. In Indonesia, each year, (the health inflation) increases around 9-11 (percent), whereas the GDP is just 5.2 percent," he remarked.
He pointed to limited transparency as one of the challenges. For example, an appendectomy in the United States costs 25 thousand USD, 12 thousand in Singapore, and 1,000 USD in Indonesia.
"It's because there is no transparency, causing huge gaps. Who suffers from it? The people. For the same procedures, the difference is threefold to fourfold," he said.
Hence, BPJS Kesehatan must ensure that the rate of inflation remains stable, and the government is to reduce the inflation rate alongside BPJS Kesehatan.
WHO Representative to Indonesia Dr. N. Paranietharan stated that Indonesia’s progress toward universal health coverage is encouraging, but Indonesia must not lose sight of those still left behind.
“The Universal Health Coverage day today is a reminder that we need to invest in primary care, strengthen our health workforce, and ensure that no one faces financial hardship because of health costs,” Paranietharan said.
He also noted that across different areas of health, Indonesia’s performance varies. Services for mothers and children are relatively strong, but there are still gaps in family planning. Infectious disease control is the country’s strongest area, yet HIV services remain a concern, with coverage much lower than for other diseases.
The biggest challenge lies in noncommunicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes, where detection and treatment rates are still low. The distribution of the health workforce is another area needing attention, as many communities, especially in rural areas, lack enough health workers to meet demand.
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Reporter: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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