JAKARTA: Health-focused non-governmental organisations on Monday (Sep 22) urged the government to temporarily halt President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free school meals programme, days after 500 children became sick in the biggest mass food poisoning outbreak so far.
The US$10 billion programme has reached more than 20 million recipients since its January launch, and is rapidly being scaled up in a bid to reach 83 million women and children by year end. But the programme has faced a number of setbacks in supplies and preparation.
Food poisoning from the free meals has affected 6,452 children nationwide, which was “a systemic failure”, Network for Education Watch (JPPI) head Ubaid Matraji told a parliamentary committee, saying the government must stop the programme to put in place stronger oversight.
The committee overseeing health issues was briefed on the concerns about the programme by six NGOs, including the Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives (CISDI), Movement for Mother and Child Health, and Network for Education Watch.
CISDI, which also proposed the suspension of the programme, was concerned there was no mechanism set by the government to evaluate kitchens with food poisoning cases or to prevent such outbreaks, its senior analyst Iqbal Hafizon, told the hearing.
The NGOs also urged the National Nutrition Agency, which runs the programme, to pay more attention to the nutritional value of the food provided, saying that most of the menu still used ultra-processed items, which are considered unhealthy.
