Health Minister Proposes TB Patients as Recipients of Free Nutritious Meal Programme

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has proposed that tuberculosis (TB) sufferers become one of the priority groups for the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. The proposal was made considering that Indonesia still records around 1 million TB cases each year, with a death toll reaching 160,000. Budi believes that good nutritional support can increase the chances of recovery for patients undergoing TB treatment. Therefore, in addition to schoolchildren, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers, TB patients are considered necessary targets for the MBG programme. “There are 1 million people sick with tuberculosis in Indonesia every year. 160,000 die, so we are talking about two people dying every five minutes,” Budi said after the launch of The Lancet Regional Health-Western Pacific Commission: Reimagining Healthcare in Indonesia for 2045 at the Ministry of Health in Jakarta on Monday (22/6/2026). Budi stated that the proposal had been submitted to the Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Nanik S Deyang. According to him, TB patients who receive a combination of treatment and adequate nutritional intake have a greater chance of recovery. “If we treat them and supply their nutrition, the likelihood of recovery is greater,” he said. Besides TB patients, Budi also requested that the MBG programme pay more attention to three other groups deemed crucial from a health perspective: pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers. Budi explained that pregnant women need sufficient nutritional intake to reduce the risk of various health problems for both mother and baby. After childbirth, the nutritional needs of breastfeeding mothers must also be met so that the breastfeeding process can run optimally, especially during the first two years of a child’s life. Meanwhile, toddlers are an equally important group because they are in the golden period of growth. Fulfilling nutrition during this period is considered crucial for determining a child’s future physical and cognitive development. “So pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, thirdly toddlers, and fourthly, I also entrust the President’s programme for tuberculosis,” Budi said. He revealed that he had conveyed the proposal to the BGN and received a positive response. Budi stated that the scheme for MBG beneficiaries could still be adjusted in the future to reach groups with high nutritional needs from a public health perspective. “She liked it. Perhaps the Presidential Regulation will be amended slightly later, because currently it is given to schoolchildren, and that does not mean I reject the programme for schools,” he said. Budi added that the government is currently discussing strengthening the programme’s targets with the BGN and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The impact evaluation of the MBG will later be conducted through health examination and nutritional status data, allowing programme improvements to be evaluated based on evidence-based policy.