JAKARTA – The Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT), Yandri Susanto, witnessed by Deputy Minister Ahmad Riza Patria, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Minister of Health (Menkes), Budi Gunadi Sadikin, at the Ministry of Health Office, Jakarta, on Monday (July 6, 2026). The MoU covers cooperation on the "Strengthening of Development and Empowerment of Communities in Villages and Disadvantaged Regions to Realize a Healthy Indonesia."

Minister Yandri stated that collaboration with the Ministry of Health is highly believed to accelerate the realization of President Prabowo Subianto's directive for a Healthy Indonesia. This is backed by the fact that 73 percent of Indonesia's population, numbering roughly 202 million citizens, hold IDs registered in villages. If rural healthcare challenges are fully resolved, the President's directives can successfully materialize.

Currently, out of the 75,266 villages across Indonesia, Minister Yandri noted that approximately 9,300 disadvantaged and severely disadvantaged villages still lack electricity, proper community health centers (Puskesmas), and adequate roads or bridges. Furthermore, around 3,000 villages remain digitally isolated as cellular communication dead zones (blankspots).

"Therefore, it is critically important for us to collaborate to realize the President's 6th Asta Cita (Aspiration)—building from the village and from the bottom-up for economic equality and poverty eradication—which is fundamentally inseparable from healthcare elements," Minister Yandri stated.

The Ministry has translated this national aspiration into its "12 Strategic Actions to Build Villages, Build Indonesia," which also closely integrates health components. These actions include the Thematic Village initiative—such as Tilapia Fish, Egg-Laying Poultry, Catfish, Corn, and Melon Villages—designed to strengthen local food security to fulfill the nutritional needs of rural residents.

In addition to Thematic Villages, the Ministry has rolled out Export Villages, Waste-Free Villages, and the Rural Youth Pioneer program, which has sent selected youths to Japan. However, this youth program frequently faces bottlenecks during medical checkups due to Japan's stringent entry healthcare regulations.

"Consequently, this collaboration is deeply essential for us to guarantee that healthcare service delivery is precisely targeted. We also strictly mandate the inclusion of stunting reduction programs in the annual Village Fund allocation," Minister Yandri added.

Minister Yandri hopes that this MoU will hit its mark and provide necessary affirmative action for all villages across Indonesia, enabling the realization of the "Golden Indonesia" and "Advanced Indonesia 2045" national visions.

The scope of the Memorandum of Understanding comprehensively encompasses six points:

1. The exchange and utilization of data and/or information.

2. The improvement of health literacy.

3. Community empowerment, particularly through health service units at the village/sub-district level and integrated healthcare posts (Posyandu), to foster healthy living habits.

4. The expansion of efforts toward public nutrition fulfillment and enhancement.

5. The scaling up of disease prevention and control measures.

6. The improvement of access to and quality of primary healthcare alongside other fields of public health.

The high-profile signing ceremony was also attended by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Health Kunta Wibawa Dasa Nugraha, Director General of Primary and Community Health at the Ministry of Health Maria Endang Sumiwi, alongside representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Bappenas.

Accompanying the Minister and Deputy Minister from the Ministry of Villages and PDT were Secretary-General Taufik Madjid, Director General of Village and Rural Development Nugroho Setijo Nagoro, Director General of Disadvantaged Regions Development Samsul Widodo, Head of the Information Development Agency (BPI) Mulyadin Malik, Head of BPSDM Agustomi Masik, Senior Advisors Sugito and Bito Wikantosa, alongside other senior officials.

Photo: Wening/Kemendes PDT 
Text: Firman/Kemendes PDT