In brief
This week, more than 1,258 children across multiple provinces fell sick due to a controversial free school lunch program in Indonesia, linked to several mass food poisoning incidents since January. Despite calls for suspension from NGOs, officials remain resolute in continuing the program, which has already been marred by previous health concerns and high costs.
More than 1,000 children have fallen ill from free school lunches in Indonesia this week, according to authorities – the latest in a string of mass food poisoning events linked to President Prabowo Subianto's multi-billion-dollar nutritious meals programme. Yuyun Sarihotima, head of West Java's Cipongkor Community Health Center, told BBC Indonesia that the total number of poisoning victims recorded between Monday and Wednesday had reached 1,258. It follows the poisoning of 800 students last week in West Java and Central Sulawesi provinces. President Prabowo has made the nutritious meals programme – which aims to offer free lunches to 80 million school children – a signature of his leadership.But a spate of mass food poisoning incidents has led non-governmental organisations to call for authorities to suspend the programme due to health concerns. Muhaimin Iskandar, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, said on Wednesday that 'there are no plans to stop it'. Victims of the recent outbreaks complained of stomach aches, dizziness, and nausea – as well as shortness of breath, unusual for food poisoning. The head of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency (BGN) stated that last week's mass food poisoning was due to a technical error by the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), which has reportedly been suspended.Cipongkor is where the first suspected case of this week's mass poisoning occurred on Monday, with the number of victims quickly increasing to some 475 students. On Wednesday, another mass poisoning in the same area saw as many as 500 students fall ill after consuming free lunches. The BGN reported that from January to September 22, there were 4,711 cases of free school lunch poisoning, primarily on the island of Java, though the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) recorded an even higher figure of 6,452 children affected.As calls mount for the government to declare an outbreak and halt the programme for a thorough evaluation, the government defends the initiative’s costs and benefits. This free meals initiative is a cornerstone of President Prabowo's presidency and was designed to combat malnutrition and stunting among school children. However, while the program aims to serve 80 million children, it faces scrutiny over its execution and safety, with accusations of negligence and potential corruption in its administration. After initial success, public sentiment is shifting, raising concerns about the sustainability and integrity of such vast social assistance initiatives.
