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1h ago

Poisonings Tied to Indonesia’s Free Meals Program Top 5,000 as West Java Declares Emergency

Watchdogs urge a pause for a full safety review after government counts top 5,000 suspected cases.

Health workers assist children who fell ill from food poisoning as they arrive in an ambulance, at Cililin Hospital in West Bandung, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Adnan Kheruma)
Students receive treatments for food poisoning after eating government-sponsored free school meals, at a makeshift clinic inside a district's hall in Bandung, West Java province, Indonesia, September 25, 2025. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan
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Health workers examine children who fell ill from food poisoning, at Cililin Hospital in West Bandung, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Adnan Kheruma)

Overview

  • West Java’s governor reported four outbreaks this week in West Bandung and Sukabumi that sickened more than 1,000 pupils after school lunches.
  • Health emergency status was declared for West Bandung to unlock provincial funds, and the National Nutrition Agency has suspended kitchens linked to cases.
  • The Presidential Staff Office cited nationwide tallies of 5,207 cases from the Health Ministry and 5,320 from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency.
  • Hospitals were overwhelmed and a sports hall in West Bandung was turned into a makeshift clinic as task forces of nutritionists and health workers were deployed.
  • NGOs, including the Centre for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives and the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network, called for a temporary halt and full evaluation of the rapidly scaled programme.