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In December 2018, Mita and her husband Yorhen adopted a baby boy named Stefano who was born on New Year’s Eve in a hospital in Tobelo, North Maluku. Stefano was born by cesarean section and had several health issues, including bowlegs and yellowish skin. After five days at the hospital, Mita decided to bring her son home to her village.   But …

Yang Terhormat Bapak Bapak, dan Ibu Ibu sekalian, Bapak Suharso - Minister, National Development Planning Bappenas Bapak Tito, Minister of Home Affairs Bapak Subandi Deputy Minister for Human, Community and Cultural Development, Bappenas. Ibu Nunung Director General Regional Development, Ministry of Home Affairs. Distinguished representatives from…, Results at scale, : In the current country programme we have established good practices and models that the Government can now take to scale, by including them in national or sub-national work-plans, budgets and policies. UNICEF financial assistance to the Government will focus on innovation, technical advice and assistance on policy and capacity development. The…, Systematic documentation and knowledge sharing, : Good practices are based on evidence, and offer proof that they actually work. We will produce more knowledge products on good practices, and on the lessons we learn from the implementation of our programmes. This evidence will continue to inform our support to Indonesia, and together we can also offer it to other countries that can learn from…, Programme integration:, Under the umbrella of the new United Nations Strategic Cooperation Framework for 2021-2025, UNICEF will make sure that our participation in joint UN programmes closely integrates the national and sub-national level, from planning, to budgeting to monitoring. We will support the Ministry of Home Affairs to issue guidelines for systematic…

OpEd by Debora Comini: Young people must be empowered to become champions for nutrition.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the isolation and intensive care unit (ICU) at RSUD (Regional General Hospital) Iskak Tulungagung in East Java has seen a steady surge in COVID-19 cases. While the hospital has always been full, more beds and health workers have been added to treat the ever-increasing number of COVID-19 patients.  A nurse…

KUPANG, Indonesia , – When El-Asamau arrived at the Puskesmas Bakunase in July to have his youngest child vaccinated, he was greeted with warm smiles. It had been several weeks since he was last in the Kupang City health centre, and the staff were happy he and his family were in good health. The mood was light and much different than when they last saw him.  El-…

Marlina was once the breadwinner for her family. A mother of three, she worked a series of odd jobs to make ends meet, such as baking cakes and doing laundry for her relatives in Sabang, Aceh.  But everything changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Social restrictions put in place to control the virus have made it almost impossible for her to find…

When 22-month-old Jevan was discharged from the puskesmas (health centre) in March, his mother Magdalena Naimuni was filled with joy, but also worry. After being treated for more than a month for severe wasting, Jevan’s nutritional status had returned to normal. To avoid relapse, Jevan needed to be regularly screened for any recurrence of wasting…, Empowering caregivers at home, Magdalena measures Jevan’s arm In May, when local COVID-19 restrictions were still in place, Magdalena was visited at home by Mama Mansur, a community health worker supported by the District Health Office and UNICEF. During the visit, Mama Mansur showed Magdalena how she could check Jevan’s nutritional status herself by administering the mid-upper…, UNICEF is grateful to the Government of Japan for their support to keep the most vulnerable children healthy and protected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions to children’s education. With the majority of schools in Indonesia still closed, millions of students have been forced to continue their learning remotely. Yet the impacts have not been felt equally. School closures have disproportionately affected children with disabilities, who were…

In a dense area in the city of Makassar in South Sulawesi Province, Hasnah sits on her porch and watches closely as her neighbour Biah uses a flipchart to explain how to protect against COVID-19 infection. Hasnah runs a small stall selling daily necessities and interacts with customers every day, which means she is part of a high-risk group for…, UNICEF Indonesia wishes to express its sincere gratitude to key donors, including the Government of New Zealand.

A simple toilet can save lives. Yet over 19 million people in Indonesia don’t use toilets, defecating instead in fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals or other open spaces. Open defecation is not only an affront to dignity, it also facilitates the spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery. A quarter of all children…