Hashim: Poor Housing Drives Stunting and Tuberculosis in Indonesian Children

JAKARTA — The head of the Housing Task Force, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, has stated that poor housing conditions and unhealthy living environments are among the primary causes of high rates of stunting and tuberculosis (TB) in Indonesian children.

This statement was made during the launch of housing development initiatives to support the Three Million Homes Programme in Manggarai, Jakarta, on Monday, 16 March 2026.

According to Hashim, inadequate living environments can compromise children’s health and contribute to the emergence of various diseases, including stunting.

“We already know that unhealthy environments cause stunting. Why? Because children’s health is compromised,” he emphasised.

Hashim noted that Indonesia ranks second globally in tuberculosis prevalence, second only to India. He attributed this situation to crowded slum housing conditions.

“In terms of tuberculosis prevalence, Indonesia is only behind India. This is caused by closely packed housing in slum areas,” he said.

Based on information received from the Ministry of Health, examinations show that many Indonesian children still suffer from tuberculosis.

Hashim believes that children’s health conditions influenced by their living environment also have an impact on their learning capacity and academic performance.

“We already understand why our children, who should be intelligent and smart, fall short academically due to health obstacles and environmental factors,” he noted.

For this reason, he considers the development of adequate housing to be a crucial step in creating a healthier living environment for communities.