Minister calls for stronger early detection to curb diabetes risks

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has emphasized early detection and prevention of diabetes to reduce complications and rising healthcare costs.In a statement on Monday, he said diabetes remains among the diseases with the highest financial burden and may lead to severe complications if not detected early. Regular check-ups, including for children and adolescents, are therefore essential to promote early behavioral changes.”Diabetes isn’t just about blood sugar. Its impacts are far-reaching, affecting quality of life, productivity, and even government spending. We must act more quickly through early detection and prevention,” he said.He noted that the Free Health Check (CKG) program will serve as a population-based strategy to identify risk factors and detect diabetes early in communities. The initiative aims to ensure people understand their health condition before intervention becomes difficult.The Ministry of Health is also improving health data recording and reporting through digital integration and gradually expanding access to medicines, including insulin.Sadikin stressed that diabetes management requires joint support from families, communities, health facilities, the education sector, and workplaces.”Health is a long-term investment. We want the younger generation to grow up healthy and free from diabetes complications,” he said at the World Diabetes Day commemoration at Fatmawati Hospital in Jakarta.Fatmawati Hospital’s Medical and Nursing Director Muhammad Azhari Taufik said type 1 diabetes cases treated at the hospital have risen sharply, with routine patients increasing from 38 in 2024 to 65 in 2025.He said diabetes care, especially for children, requires not only medical treatment but also social support, family assistance, and long-term financing. He underlined the need for government and health facilities to ensure that affected children can continue to grow, learn, and achieve.Taufik also highlighted the importance of digitalizing health data through the Satu Sehat platform to strengthen patient monitoring.”Data integration will facilitate monitoring and support more targeted policies,” he added.