Indonesia: Two Thousand Students Ill After Consuming Free School Meals Programme
Approximately 2,000 Indonesian schoolchildren have presented with symptoms including vomiting and stomach pains, following their consumption of free meals provided under a new government initiative. Investigations are now underway into several suspected food poisoning incidents linked to the programme.
The scheme, a flagship policy of President-elect Prabowo Subianto, aims to provide free lunches and milk to over 80 million students nationwide. However, its implementation has drawn considerable criticism, with public health experts and opposition figures raising concerns about its feasibility, funding, and potential health risks.
In the provincial capital of Serang, Banten, officials reported that 200 children fell ill. This follows a separate incident in South Jakarta where 80 students required medical attention, with two reportedly hospitalised. Similar outbreaks have been documented in cities such as Kupang and Palembang, where hundreds more children experienced adverse reactions after consuming the provided food.
Local authorities have collected food samples for laboratory analysis to determine the exact cause of the illnesses. President-elect Subianto's administration maintains that the programme is crucial for improving child nutrition and educational outcomes, despite the widespread public health incidents now casting a pall over its initial rollout.
