Home » News » Local health centers in Indonesia offer free screening for 14 diseases including cancer and diabetes, aiming to improve public health through prevention efforts.

Local health centers in Indonesia offer free screening for 14 diseases including cancer and diabetes, aiming to improve public health through prevention efforts.

The Indonesian Health Ministry has announced that local health centers are offering free screenings for 14 different types of diseases in efforts to improve public health. The screenings are aimed at increasing public awareness and behavioral consistency in living a clean and healthy life, whilst preventive efforts are considered to be more important and effective means of maintaining health than treating sickness. The 14 diseases for which tests are offered include cervical cancer, tuberculosis, anemia, colorectal cancer, and hepatitis. A study by ASEAN Costs in Oncology found that almost 50% of cancer patients face financial problems following 12 months of treatment, indicating the need for more regular screenings. Shockingly, only 33% of the Indonesian population undergo screening for non-communicable diseases, whilst 70% of cancer patients in Indonesia receive treatment at a late stage, reducing chances for treatment success and the quality of public health. Last year, the Indonesian government spent US $1.6 billion funding treatment for non-communicable diseases, an increase from the US $1.2 billion allocated in 2021.

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