Indonesia’s Minister of Health Dr. Nila Djuwita Farid Moeloek considers nearly 83 percent of all Indonesian households as having an unhealthy lifestyle. Dr. Moeloek considers this a huge factor in the recent deficit growth of the national health insurance scheme.

According to the Health Ministry of Indonesia, there are eight leading indicators of a healthy household:

1) The family must have complete health insurance

2) A mother must give birth to their child in a hospital setting

3) A newborn child’s growth and development must be monitored from birth

4) Newborns should be fully immunized and breastfed whenever possible.

5) A healthy household should be non-smokers

6) Whole Indonesian houses should have access to clean running water and restrooms.

7) Anyone sick facility members but must undergo treatment at hospitals immediately.

8) Family members suffering from diabetes or hypertension should get regular check-ups.

Based on the health ministries’ most recent survey, only 17 percent of Indonesian families meet all the indicators set classifying the remaining, 83 percent, as unhealthy. As a result of poor practices, many diseases could have been prevented by following guidelines of healthy lifestyles set by the ministry.

Most recent data from the BPJS Kesehatan national health insurance scheme shows that providing care for non-communicable illnesses and critical diseases absorbs up most of the agency’s annual budget. The governmental agency spent an estimated Rp 79 trillion ($5.8 billion) from 2015 to 2019, or around 19 percent of its total budget, to provide treatments for kidney failure, cancer, and heart disease. During the same period, the BPJS Kesehatan reported accumulating nearly Rp 10 trillion in deficit. Another major problem is the extensive spread of tobacco abuse. According to a recent Worldbank report, almost 68% of the adult population in Indonesia, or 85 million people, are considered regular smokers.

The World Bank Group Global Tobacco Control also estimates that smoking-related medical conditions kill an estimated 236,000 Indonesians each year. According to Dr. Nila, most of these medical conditions can be prevented by directly leading a healthier lifestyle. Patients with diabetes and hypertension can avoid higher risks of heart disease if they live a healthier lifestyle and follow practical guidelines such as getting a full medical check-up at least once a year and eating healthy foods low in cholesterol and sugars.