VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

To strengthen health services, in 2019, the Indonesian Government specifically allocated Rp 122 trillion for the health budget or doubled from the 16 health budgets in 2014 amounting to Rp 59.7 trillion. This was stated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in a financial memorandum speech before a joint session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD), at the Parliament Building, Jakarta, Thursday, August 16, 2018.

"To strengthen health services, in 2019, the Government allocated Rp122 trillion for the health budget or doubled from the health budget in 2014 of Rp59.7 trillion. Since 2016, in accordance with the Health Law, the Government has consistently maintained a health budget of 5 percent of state expenditure. Various health programs carried out by the Government have provided tangible results with increasing equity and quality of health services, availability and distribution of medicines, health resources in the regions, and increased life expectancy and household access to clean sanitation," President Joko Widodo said.

In 2019, President Jokowi also said that his administration would continue its priority programs in the health sector by strengthening health services to the community, including by providing  quality facilities and infrastructure at 48 hospitals or health centers, as well as strengthening the integrated stunting reduction program in 160 Regencies and municipalities. To overcome the problem of child nutrition, the Government of Indonesia will also encourage the provision of additional food to 525,420 pregnant women and 1.5 million underweight children, as well as immunization of children aged 0-11 months to reach 90 percent. Through various social protection programs, it is expected that the poverty rate in 2019 will fall again to 8.5 percent to 9.5 percent and the Human Development Index rises to 71.98. (VOI / Rezha/AHM)