Indonesia’s Health Ministry aims to enroll 130 million people in its free health screening program in 2026, nearly doubling this year’s target, as it seeks to curb rising rates of chronic and catastrophic diseases.
The target is up from 70 million participants in 2025, which the ministry said it successfully achieved under a flagship program launched by President Prabowo Subianto, Health Policy Agency head Asnawi Abdullah told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Now marking its first anniversary, the program has reached 70 million Indonesians, including 25 million students from elementary to senior high school, making it one of the country’s largest public health initiatives.
Asnawi said this year’s focus will shift beyond screening toward follow-up care, particularly in addressing key findings such as dental problems and hypertension among students.
"For hypertension, we will intensify blood pressure control and promote lifestyle changes so people understand what actions they must take,” he said.
Among the general population, the most common problems detected were hypertension, high blood sugar, and obesity, which he said were the main drivers of Indonesia’s growing burden of catastrophic diseases.
These include heart disease, cancer, stroke, kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, thalassemia, hemophilia, and leukemia, conditions that require costly long-term treatment and account for the largest share of spending by the state health insurer, BPJS Kesehatan.
Asnawi said cardiovascular disease remains BPJS Kesehatan’s biggest financial burden, adding that early detection through free health checks is expected to encourage healthier lifestyles and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
"We encourage all Indonesians to take part every year so these diseases can be prevented or controlled early,” he said.
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Translator: Mario Sofia Nasution, Martha Herlinawati Simanjunt
Editor: Primayanti
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