In brief
Recent reports indicate that more than 1,000 children in Indonesia have fallen ill due to food poisoning linked to a free school lunch program championed by President Prabowo Subianto. The program, which aims to serve nutritious meals to millions of school children, has faced criticism and calls for suspension following a series of mass poisoning events across several provinces. Health authorities are investigating the causes, which have included food preparation errors, as the government defends its decision to continue the initiative amidst rising concerns.
5 hours agoMore than 1,000 children have fallen ill from free school lunches in Indonesia this week, according to authorities – the latest in a string of mass food poisoning events linked to President Prabowo Subianto's multi-billion-dollar nutritious meals programme. Yuyun Sarihotima, head of West Java's Cipongkor Community Health Center, confirmed that the total number of poisoning victims recorded between Monday and Wednesday had reached 1,258.It follows the poisoning of 800 students last week in West Java and Central Sulawesi provinces. President Prabowo has made the nutritious meals programme, which aims to offer free lunches to 80 million school children, a signature of his leadership.But a spate of mass food poisoning incidents has led non-governmental organisations to call for authorities to suspend the programme due to health concerns. Last week, victims reported stomach aches, dizziness, and nausea, along with atypical symptoms such as shortness of breath. The head of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, cited a technical error as the cause of the poisoning in recent cases.
