Indonesia plans to expand free health screening to 46% of population by 2026

Indonesia’s Ministry of Health aims to extend its Free Health Checkup (CKG) programme to nearly 46 per cent of the population by 2026, following an evaluation of its initial implementation phase in 2025. This is reported by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), a partner of TV BRICS. 

According to Aji Muhawarman, head of the ministry’s Bureau of Communication and Public Information, the programme reached 70.8 million people in 2025, representing 24.9 per cent of Indonesia’s population. He described the result as a milestone for the national healthcare system, as free health screenings became accessible nationwide.

The programme sets differentiated coverage targets across population groups. Planned participation levels include 70 per cent of newborns, 50 per cent of infants and preschool children, 35 per cent of students and adolescents, 45 per cent of adults, and 55 per cent of senior citizens. The goal is to ensure that at least 80 per cent of residents are covered in 60 per cent of districts and cities.

Aji Muhawarman noted that the programme’s benchmarks are aligned with Indonesia’s National Medium-Term Development Plan for 2025–2029, which defines the country’s key development priorities, public service targets and budget planning. Data collected through the screenings will support future healthcare policymaking, with an emphasis on disease prevention, healthy lifestyle promotion, strengthening medical workforce capacity, improving infrastructure, and enhancing cross-sectoral cooperation.

To reach its 2026 target, the Ministry plans to intensify public outreach, expand service delivery and improve follow-up care after medical examinations. The source stated that cooperation with regional governments is also being strengthened to enhance monitoring systems, enabling timely data collection and early intervention for individuals at health risk.

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