This policy brief examines Indonesia's fragile budget for stunting programs, where community health worker (kader) incentives remain low and inconsistent. Some kaders receive as little as Rp60,000 every 3–4 months. Regions with the highest stunting rates, like NTT, are also most dependent on central transfers, which are now shrinking amid fiscal efficiency measures. The brief proposes two alternative financing sources: a sugary drink excise tax, projected to cut consumption 17.5% while generating Rp3.6 trillion annually for kader incentives and training, and regional bonds/sukuk, piloted in fiscally stronger provinces like DKI Jakarta, to fund community health systems sustainably.
FEATURED PUBLICATION
Book Chapter Publication, 2026
Digital dashboards for evidence-based programs: Insights from community case management in maternal and child health in rural areas
Digital Transformation in Healthcare: Innovations in Hospital and Medical Services explores how emerging technologies, including AI, big data, and digital tools, are transforming healthcare systems and evidence-based decision-making worldwide. Featured in Chapter 10 (page 227), “Digital Dashboards for Evidence-Based Programs: Insights from Community Case Management in Maternal and Child Health in Rural Areas” examines how digital dashboards can strengthen maternal and child health programs, particularly in rural and resource-limited settings. Drawing on 1000 Days Fund's Community Case Management (CCM) experience in Indonesia, a literature review, and qualitative interviews with local health officials, the chapter highlights how real-time health data can support evidence-based decision-making. It also emphasizes the need to address digital literacy, infrastructure gaps, and system interoperability to build scalable, sustainable, and equitable digital health solutions. Explore the book and learn more about the chapter here.
Policy Brief, 2026
Menakar Kondisi Anggaran Program Stunting: Tantangan dan Peluang Pembiayaan Insentif Kader Kesehatan
Policy Brief, 2026
Refleksi Implementasi Perpres 72/2021 Tantangan Kelembagaan dan Penguatan Kader dalam Percepatan Penurunan Stunting
This policy brief examines why Presidential Regulation 72/2021, Indonesia's flagship stunting-reduction framework, has fallen short of its 14% target, with national stunting prevalence still at 19.8% in 2024. It identifies two core gaps: weak cross-sector convergence at the sub-district and village level, and the regulation's failure to formally recognize community health workers (kaders) as frontline actors, leaving their training, incentives, and job protection unaddressed. Drawing on 1000 Days Fund's field experience — including a Rp6 billion Village Fund allocation across 110 villages in NTT and NTB — the brief recommends a permanent, functional Stunting Task Force from district to village level, formal recognition of kaders under the "5S" framework (skilled, supplied, supervised, salaried, secured), and mandating Village Funds as a sustainable financing source for kader strengthening.
Policy Brief, 2026
Memperkuat Kapasitas Kader Kesehatan Masyarakat untuk Mengatasi Stunting: Pembelajaran dari NTT
This policy brief examines how strengthening community health worker (kader kesehatan) capacity can accelerate stunting reduction in Indonesia. Drawing on 1000 Days Fund's 2019–2023 intervention in Manggarai Barat and Rote Ndao — structured training, the Smart Chart behavior-change tool, and continuous supervision — the evidence shows 60–65% of kaders gained new technical skills, contributing to a 19% drop in stunting prevalence between 2021 and 2024, while comparable NTT districts without the intervention saw stunting rise by 1.4%. The brief argues this model should be replicated nationally, and outlines concrete policy steps: accelerating a Presidential Instruction (Inpres) on community health workers, improving recruitment and competency standards, strengthening puskesmas-led training and supervision, and optimizing Pokjanal Posyandu for cross-sector coordination.
