Malang City Strengthens Healthcare Services as a Development Priority
The Malang City Government has placed the health sector as one of the main pillars of sustainable development. This is being done so that all residents can access quality, equitable and easily reachable healthcare services.
Under the leadership of Mayor of Malang Wahyu Hidayat and Deputy Mayor Ali Muthohirin, the health sector has been designated a development priority through the Dasa Bakti Unggulan Ngalam Tahes programme. The programme covers strengthening primary healthcare services, improving the quality of hospitals and community health centres (puskesmas), digitalisation of services, accelerating the reduction of stunting, improving maternal and child health, and strengthening promotive and preventive services.
The strengthening of the health sector also supports the Asta Cita of the President and Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, particularly in strengthening human resources and improving the quality of basic services towards Golden Indonesia 2045.
One of the Malang City Government’s priorities is to strengthen Universal Health Coverage (UHC) so that all residents receive health insurance protection regardless of their economic circumstances. These efforts are carried out through collaboration with BPJS Kesehatan, the central government, the East Java Provincial Government, and regional budget (APBD) support for financing participants of the Regional Premium Assistance Recipients (PBID) scheme.
This commitment is reflected in the rising coverage of National Health Insurance (JKN) membership, which has shown a consistent positive trend. From 94.77 per cent at the start of 2021, it rose to 95.61 per cent midway through the same year, then reached 98.61 per cent in 2022. Malang City broke through 100 per cent at the start of 2023, then reached 107.88 per cent in 2024, 105.47 per cent in 2025, and rose again to 105.85 per cent as of 1 January 2026.
For this achievement, Malang City received the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Awards 2026 in the main category, in recognition of its success in delivering inclusive health protection for its residents.
“Public health is the foundation of development. That is why we continue our efforts to provide healthcare services that are increasingly accessible, high-quality and evenly distributed. For us, healthcare services are not merely about meeting performance targets, but about ensuring every resident obtains their right to live a healthy and productive life,” said Mayor of Malang Wahyu Hidayat.
The strengthening of healthcare services has also had an impact on various regional development indicators. According to data from the Malang City Central Statistics Agency (BPS), life expectancy reached 75.88 years in 2025, an increase on the previous year and above the national average. Over the same period, the Human Development Index (HDI) rose to 85.55, the economy grew by 5.92 per cent, while the poverty rate fell to 3.85 per cent.
The Malang City Government is also continuing to improve service quality through the digitalisation of healthcare services, better referral systems, strengthening of primary healthcare facilities, and collaboration with hospitals, BPJS Kesehatan, universities, professional organisations, Posyandu cadres, the business community and society at large. This pentahelix approach is expected to increase the effectiveness of healthcare services while extending their reach to the public.
Wahyu said improving the quality of healthcare services will remain a priority for the Malang City Government. According to him, fast, easy and high-quality access to services is key to improving residents’ quality of life and productivity.
“We want to ensure all residents of Malang City gain access to healthcare services that are easy, fast and of high quality. This is the form of public service that is our priority,” said Wahyu.