Indonesia launched an annual free health screening on Monday, a 3 trillion rupiah ($183.54 million) initiative to prevent early deaths that the country’s health ministry said was its biggest-ever undertaking.
Under the programme, all Indonesians will eventually be entitled to a free screening on their birthday, the ministry said.
The screening, which is not mandatory, includes blood pressure, tests to determine the risk of heart problems or stroke, and eye tests, the ministry said.
The programme is initially targeting under-sixes and adults aged 18 and over, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said.
The leading causes of death in the world’s fourth most populous nation include stroke, heart disease, and tuberculosis, data from the World Health Organization shows.
Budi said the 3 trillion rupiah allocation for the programme was about 1 trillion less than originally planned after President Prabowo Subianto ordered budget cuts to help fund election promises, including giving free meals to school children.
At a health centre in Jakarta on Monday, about 30 people had signed up for the screening on the first day.
