Thousand Islands Strengthens Oversight of Medicines and Food for Residents and Tourists

The Thousand Islands Regency Government is collaborating with the Jakarta Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BBPOM) to strengthen oversight of medicines and food consumed to enhance the quality of public health for residents and tourists in the northern Jakarta island cluster. “The Thousand Islands Regency is committed to continuously improving supervision and maintaining food quality for the health of the community and visiting tourists,” said Deputy Regent Aceng Zaeni in Jakarta on Friday. He hopes that the synergy with BBPOM will continue and produce various strategic programmes beneficial to residents’ health. According to him, efforts to improve health in the Thousand Islands continue to show positive results with the decline in stunting rates or growth failure in infants and toddlers due to malnutrition. “The regency government ensures that public health remains the primary focus of development in the Thousand Islands,” he said. Meanwhile, BBPOM Jakarta Head Sofiyani Chandrawati Anwar stated that her agency is preparing several agendas to strengthen oversight of medicines and food in the islands, both on inhabited islands and resort islands in the Thousand Islands Regency. Oversight includes assessing safe food districts, supporting the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme, and efforts to control antimicrobial resistance in the area. Her agency is also coordinating on medicines and food oversight, including plans to establish a Food and Drug Oversight Post (Loka POM) in the Thousand Islands to expand local-level supervision. The establishment of Loka POM is regulated under Badan POM Regulation Number 22 of 2020 on the Organisation and Working Procedures of Technical Implementation Units, which was later updated through Badan POM Regulation Number 3 of 2025. Loka POM plays an important role in directly carrying out oversight functions for medicine and food products in regional areas. “We greatly appreciate the support from the regency government apparatus that cares about this issue,” she said.