While the country has made strides in addressing challenges like maternal mortality, stunting and infectious diseases, data shows that NCDs such as IHD, stroke and diabetes have become the leading causes of death and disability.
here are three national-scale screening programs in place: Posyandu Lansia, Posbindu PTM and Prolanis, the former two organized by the Health Ministry and the latter by the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan).
Posyandu Lansia is a community-based initiative that provides healthcare services to the elderly, particularly in rural areas with limited healthcare infrastructure. As of 2017, there were approximately 80,353 Posyandu Lansia across Indonesia.
These health posts offer disease and risk factor screenings, such as blood pressure and body weight measurements, alongside health promotion, disease prevention and social engagement activities for seniors.
Posbindu PTM is a broader community-based initiative run by health volunteers under the supervision of primary healthcare officials. It focuses on screening for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and related risk factors in individuals aged 15 and above. Core activities include screening for hypertension and diabetes and assessing risk factors like smoking, diet, physical activity and obesity.
Posbindu also provides health education and referrals to primary health care when needed.
However, the program faces challenges such as low utilization, limited resources, inadequate facilities, insufficient training for health workers and low public awareness. Under the newly implemented Primary Health Transformation (ILP) by the ministry, Posyandu Lansia and Posbindu have been merged into a unified Posyandu program that now provides services across all stages of life.
Polaris, launched by BPJS Kesehatan in 2014, aims to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension among its members. Its services include medical consultations, health education, regular monitoring and home visits. However, Polaris has struggled with low participation rates and uneven implementation across regions (Khoe et al., 2020).
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