Health Ministry Maps Health Issues Across Age Groups Based on Free Health Screenings

The most important thing is ensuring the implementation of regulations to protect children. Based on the results of the Free Health Screening (CKG) programme over the past semester, a picture of public health challenges across every age group has emerged. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that in the newborn group, Newborn Screening results showed that of the six types of screening conducted, critical congenital heart disease was the condition with the highest potential prevalence. As of 28 June 2026, more than 490,000 babies had been screened using pulse oximetry. ‘Of that number, approximately 4.3 percent, or 20,946 babies, were identified as having indications of abnormalities requiring further examination. This finding also reinforces the importance of readiness in paediatric cardiac services, from early detection and referral systems to hospital capacity in handling congenital heart disease,’ Budi said in a statement on Friday (17/7). In the primary school age group, the most common health problem found was dental caries, followed by increased blood pressure, nutritional status disorders, and sensory impairments in hearing and vision. Entering the junior high school group, dental health issues remained the most frequent finding. Additionally, there was a noticeable increase in mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, alongside a rising risk of tuberculosis (TB), increased blood pressure, and nutritional problems. In the senior high school group, this pattern became even more pronounced. Dental caries remained the primary issue, followed by increased blood pressure, mental health disorders, TB risk, and nutritional problems indicating a balance between under-nutrition and obesity. Budi noted that these findings serve as a crucial basis for the government to design more specific health interventions tailored to each age group. ‘The CKG is not just the largest screening programme ever conducted in Indonesia, but now we have much more complete public health data. We know that the health problems of primary school children are different from those of junior high and high school students. With this data, government interventions become more targeted, allowing health resources to be used more effectively,’ he concluded.