Minister Of Health Targets Budi In 2030, 12-Year-Old Children Are Free Of Caries

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin/Antara

JAKARTA - The Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Budi Gunadi Sadikin is targeting children aged 12 years in Indonesia to be caries-free by 2030 through the mentoring role of the Dental and Oral Health Committee.

"One more thing I have ordered about dental and oral services is the importance of promotive and preventive efforts, especially during this pandemic", said Budi Gunadi Sadikin in a press statement received in Jakarta, Thursday.

Budi said the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) is very serious about improving the dental and oral health of the Indonesian people.

In commemoration of National Dental Health Day (HKGN), Budi advised that dental and oral services prioritize the importance of promotive and preventive efforts, especially during this pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Director of Primary Health Services at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Saraswati Sugiyarso, said that the HKGN 2021 commemoration was motivated by the low level of public awareness of the importance of maintaining dental and oral health. This is also complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The 2021 HKGN is a momentum to educate the public from pediatric patients to the elderly so as not to delay in carrying out dental care and examinations by using teledentistry", he said.

As is known, the HKGN which falls on September 12, 2021, is responded to by the Indonesian Ministry of Health by holding activities ranging from Instagram talk shows, live radio, photo, and video competitions as well as educational webinars involving the start-up social enterprise GIGI.ID which focuses on the dental and oral health of the community.

Separately, the CEO and Founder of GIGI.ID, Armelia Sari Widyarman, said that his party greatly appreciates the Indonesian Ministry of Health for its trust in involving GIGI.ID at the 2021 HKGN event.

"We are very ready to fully support the success of the entire series of HKGN 2021 activities", she said.

"With the first Teledentristry application in Indonesia, GIGI.ID is expected to help the Indonesian Ministry of Health to accelerate the distribution of dental and oral health services in Indonesia by using technology", she said.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Primary Health Services of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia and Chair of the 2021 HKGN Committee, Indra Rachmad Dharmawan said that 10,000 participants for the 2021 HKGN webinar consisted of dentists, dental nurses, students, and the general public.