Indonesia rolls out $183M free health screening to curb early deaths
Commuter train passengers from satellite cities leave the station upon arriving in Jakarta during the morning rush hour on November 8, 2024. Agence France-Presse
JAKARTA — Indonesia launched an annual free health screening on Monday, a 3 trillion rupiah ($183.54 million) initiative to prevent early deaths that the country’s health ministry said was its biggest ever undertaking.
Under the program, all Indonesians will eventually be entitled to a free screening on their birthday, the ministry said. The screening, which is not mandatory, includes blood pressure, tests to determine the risk of heart problems or stroke, and eye tests, the ministry said.
The program is initially targeting under-sixes and adults aged 18 and over, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin told Reuters last week.
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The leading causes of death in the world’s fourth most populous nation include stroke, heart disease, and tuberculosis, data from the World Health Organization shows.
