DKI Provincial Government Strengthens Efforts To Prevent Obesity And Diabetes

JAKARTA - Diabetes and obesity are one of the biggest health challenges in Indonesia today. This condition is not only influenced by genetic factors, but also a modern lifestyle typical of urban areas, such as consumption of high calorie foods, lack of movement, to chronic stress.

The impact can be seen from the increase in diabetes cases that have continued to occur in recent years. Many residents live with risks that are not realized, while others only know their condition when complications arise.

According to the 11th edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas (2024) report, 20.4 million people in Indonesia live with diabetes. This figure is estimated to increase to 28.6 million by 2050.

Indonesia is now in the fifth position in the world with the highest number of adult diabetes sufferers. The change in urban lifestyle is one of the trigger factors, while the challenge of realizing an inclusive health promotion system is still ongoing.

In the midst of this urgency, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government held a Healthy Jakarta PESTA in the Gelora Bung Karno area which was partnered with Novo Nordisk Indonesia. This activity, which was held on November 23, 2025, presents various educational and health checks to encourage people to adopt a healthier lifestyle while increasing awareness of obesity and diabetes.

At the same moment, both parties launched the "Cities for Better Health" program, as a form of continued collaboration in building a city environment that supports the prevention of chronic diseases.

"Jakarta as a big city faces increasingly complex health challenges, especially related to eating and physical activity. Increased obesity and diabetes show that we need to move faster and be more structured in prevention efforts," said Head of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Health Office, drg. Ani Ruspitawati, MM.

In a positive response, the 'Cities for Better Health' program was developed to strengthen an environmental-based diabetes prevention approach. This agenda continues with the "Cities Changing Diabetes" initiative running in 2018-2021, focusing on increasing physical activity and access to healthy foods.

"The burden of obesity and diabetes in Indonesia is getting bigger, and if it is not controlled, it will have a significant impact on the quality of life of the community and national health. Prevention efforts must be made from upstream through environmental improvement, education, and policies that help people make healthier choices," said the Head of the Metabolic Working Team and the PKG Surveillance of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, dr. A Muchtar Nasir, M.Epid.

At the Jakarta Sehat PESTA event, around 3,500 visitors came to various activities such as screening diabetes, fun walks, joint gymnastics, health talk shows, and educational booths regarding controlling obesity and diabetes.

Five basic steps for prevention such as monitoring blood sugar and body weight, self-education and family education, regular screening, implementing daily movements, and monitoring the consumption of salt, sugar, and fat are the main messages brought into this activity.

"In line with mission and vision, we always try to encourage change to overcome chronic diseases, including through cross-sectoral prevention and collaboration efforts. We understand prevention efforts must start from understanding the environment where people live and are active," explained General Manager of Novo Nordisk Indonesia, Sreerekha Sreenivasan.