Auditorium M.K. Tadjudin, Faculty of Medicine UIN Jakarta — Prof. Dr. dr. Nila Djuwita Faried Anfasa Moeloek, SpM(K), Indonesia’s Minister of Health for the 2014–2019 period, emphasized that Indonesia’s public health challenges cannot be separated from lifestyle, environment, education, and the quality of leadership. She delivered this message while speaking at the National Leadership and Student Management Training (LKMM) 2026 organized by the Indonesian Medical Student Senate Association (ISMKI) 2025/2026 on Friday, 7 February 2026, the third day of the event, at the M.K. Tadjudin Auditorium, Faculty of Medicine UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
In her presentation, Prof. Nila highlighted disparities in life expectancy across regions in Indonesia, citing Papua and Yogyakarta as examples that reflect different figures yet share equally serious health challenges.
“I will share some data. In Papua, life expectancy is around 62 years, but eight of those years are spent in severe illness,” she said. In contrast, life expectancy in Yogyakarta reaches 71 years, yet the last six years are also marked by poor health.
According to her, a high life expectancy does not necessarily reflect a good quality of life. “In my view, urban lifestyles actually make us sick. Stress, lack of health awareness, and pollution are the main factors,” she explained.
Prof. Nila also warned about environmental hazards that often go unnoticed, particularly lead exposure from waste such as improperly discarded used batteries. She explained that excessive lead content in soil can have serious impacts on cognitive ability.
“If lead levels exceed 20 micrograms, a child’s cognitive capacity can drop by nearly four points—around four times lower than normal,” she noted, expressing concern over the low public awareness of environmental threats, which she compared to the lack of attention given to stunting.
Beyond physical health, Prof. Nila highlighted mental health issues among adolescents, especially those linked to violence and bullying in schools. She noted that numerous studies indicate a high prevalence of mental health disorders among teenagers rooted in family and school-related problems.
“We hear so many cases of bullying in schools. The impact is extraordinary, even leading to suicidal ideation,” she said, adding that more than 50 percent of children have searched for ways to commit suicide—an alarming fact that demands serious attention.
In the context of development, Prof. Nila argued that Indonesia’s health development indicators remain overly focused on life expectancy and encouraged the adoption of the Human Capital Index as a more comprehensive measure.
“What we need is not just longer lives, but children free from stunting, quality education, productive adults, and healthy elderly people who continue to contribute economically,” she explained.
She also outlined initiatives undertaken by the Indonesia Health Development Center (IHDC) through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) involving government, industry, and other stakeholders. These discussions produced six core dimensions of biological health development, including sovereignty and governance of the health system.
One major issue she highlighted was Indonesia’s dependence on imported pharmaceutical raw materials. “Our medicines still rely on imports. They used to be affordable, but with the current dollar exchange rate, medicines have become expensive,” she said, noting that generic medicines are highly beneficial but require consistent policy support.
In addition, Prof. Nila stressed the unequal distribution of healthcare workers, emphasizing that the issue is not merely a shortage of doctors but also disparities caused by limited supporting infrastructure.
“Health cannot stand alone. Without clean water, transportation, and adequate education, how can people access healthcare services?” she stated.
Concluding her remarks, Prof. Nila emphasized the importance of community participation in health development, noting that public aspirations often fail to reach the policy-making level.
“We need to genuinely involve the public’s voice. Health promotion and community engagement are key to improving awareness and national health quality,” she concluded.
(RGN/NIS)