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Anies promises new policies on maternal, children's health
The presidential candidate has pledged to develop maternity-friendly policies to safeguard the country's "prospective citizens", as well as recalibrating the regional health budget into a data-driven system.
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Presidential candidate Anies Baswedan (left) speaks on Jan. 17, 2024 about his campaign’s antigraft platform as running mate Muhaimin Iskandar looks on, at the Strengthening Anticorruption for State Apparatus (Paku Integritas) event held by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta.
(Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
Anies Baswedan has promised to introduce new policies favoring pregnant women that protect their unborn babies.
Speaking at the latest Desak Anies (Urge Anies) campaign event on Thursday to an audience of health workers, the presidential candidate highlighted that unborn babies were prospective citizens.
“Therefore if a pregnant woman, regardless of her [identity card details], social status or religion, the state must assist with what they need because we are saving the baby in her womb,” Anies said, as quoted by state-owned news agency Antara.
The former Jakarta governor said regional administrations must manage the policy on protection for pregnant women based on guidance set by the central government.
“This is our concern. I’ve worked in local administration, and we were not scolded [by the central government] over maternal health services [or over] children’s health services, either,” he said.
“The central government reprimands us if the budget is not spent, if the funds remain in the bank. However, we are not reprimanded for [neglecting] social welfare issues.”
Anies vowed that, moving forward, he would establish a system in which every regent, mayor and governor was required to meet health indicators in their administrative region.
