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View all search resultsNationwide screenings uncover early signs of hypertension in children
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Healthcare workers examine elementary school students during the launch of a free health check programme for children, in Jakarta on August 4, 2025. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
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round 663,000 schoolchildren screened this year in the government’s free health check program were found to have high blood pressure, raising concern over underlying conditions such as kidney damage linked to unhealthy lifestyles and increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods.
Government Communication Agency (GCA) head Muhammad Qodari said the screenings were conducted from Jan. 1 to May 3 and involved around 4.8 million students at 48,000 schools nationwide, which generated data showing that around 22.1 percent of the children examined had blood pressure above normal levels for their age.
"This finding must be analyzed more comprehensively to identify why children at such a young age are experiencing high blood pressure,” Qodari told a press briefing on May 6.
He also noted that if left untreated, pediatric hypertension could lead to serious complications later in life, such as heart attacks and strokes.
Siti Nadia Tarmizi, the Health Ministry’s director for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, told The Jakarta Post on Friday that the data presented only preliminary screening results and therefore required follow-up examinations to determine whether the children actually had hypertension or other conditions.
She encouraged children who were flagged in the screening “to undergo further examinations at Puskesmas [community health centers] so they can receive treatment”, if necessary.
Separately, pediatrician Ina Zarlina explained that blood pressure measurements for children aged 13 and above generally followed the standard range for adults. Readings above 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) were in the “elevated” category, while readings above 130/90 mm Hg were categorized as hypertension.
