Quiz: How Well Do You Know Indonesia?

Over 17,000 islands. More than 265 million people. More than 700 languages.

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago and fourth-most populous nation. Politically stable and economically strong, the country has an increasing working age population and a steadily growing economy.

Through the lens of health, its future is less certain. Notable progress has been made over the last several decades, but great inequities remain and new threats are emerging. Project HOPE has been working to improve access to quality health services for Indonesia’s most vulnerable populations since 2005, with a focus on reaching women and children with lifesaving care.

Test your health knowledge of Indonesia with these true-or-false questions about the world’s largest island country.

Take the Quiz

How Did You Do?

1. Indonesia has one of the highest ratios of health workers to people in all of Asia.

False. Compared to other countries in Asia, Indonesia has the lowest ratio of health workers to general population. There are only a few provinces in the country that have met the World Health Organization’s recommended ratios.

There are substantial shortages of doctors, nurses, and midwives at all levels — in urban hospitals, public health centers, and small village clinics — especially in the eastern regions of the country.

Training health workers is central to Project HOPE’s mission. In Indonesia, we know that strengthening the health workforce is foundational to improving health outcomes. We have trained thousands of health workers throughout the country over the course of the last 30 years.

2. Every day, over 20 women die due to complications related to childbirth.

True. In 2017, the latest year data is available, 8,600 women died due to complications related to childbirth. That’s around 23 women every day.

When health services are lacking, women and children suffer most. Despite increases in access to antenatal services and skilled care at birth in recent years, progress to improve maternal and child health has been slow, and mortality rates are still high.

Project HOPE connects mothers, newborns, and children in Indonesia to skilled care — especially in more remote areas where mortality levels are highest. We train health center staff, midwives, and volunteers on essential maternal and newborn care, and we provide public health centers with new equipment like incubators and thermometers.

3. Indonesia’s widespread island geography has made it impossible for most of the country to access health coverage.

False. In 2014, Indonesia launched Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional, a system designed to enroll the country’s entire 265 million-person population in universal health coverage by 2019. Though JKN’s momentous goal wasn’t reached, steady progress has been made, with around 221 million people enrolled to date — over 83% of the population.

Full coverage, however, may prove impossible to achieve, as the program creates significant financial deficits, raises costs on the country’s poorest, and fails to address the need to improve health facilities in remote areas.

Project HOPE is focused on reaching remote areas on the islands of Sumatra and Java, where access to care remains far out of reach. Our approach is simple: We train and equip midwives and volunteers to stand in the gap between rural villages and formal care. These health workers have become revered as “health warriors” and vital lifelines for women and children — throughout pregnancy, delivery, and the first critical years of life.

4. Last year, Indonesia was hit by more than 3,000 natural disasters.

True. Indonesia is one of most vulnerable and disaster-prone countries on the planet, withstanding 3,622 natural disasters in 2019. The threat of natural disasters is only intensifying as climate change accelerates, jeopardizing food and water supplies and increasing the risk and spread of disease.

When disasters strike, Project HOPE sends staff and volunteers to provide critical medical support and deliver lifesaving medicine and relief. We also stay for the long haul, to help islands rebuild their health systems and prepare to face the next disaster.

Earlier this year, we launched our first regional emergency response hub to build local capacity to respond in times of emergency. Based in Jakarta, the hub will strengthen our emergency response programming and build a roster of regionally-based volunteers ready to respond when the next tsunami, typhoon, or cyclone hits.

5. Infectious diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS are the leading cause of premature death in Indonesia.

False. Noncommunicable diseases like diabetes are responsible for most premature deaths in Indonesia. In 2017, six out of 10 deaths in Indonesia were attributed to NCDs. The burden is only increasing, as urbanization, economic growth, and climate change influence key risk factors: sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, the use of tobacco, and the increase of pollution.

Project HOPE is actively addressing the growing risks of NCDs. In recent years, we have educated primary care physicians on how to effectively prevent, detect, and treat diabetes. We have also trained health care providers, strengthened care facilities, and increased awareness among patients and their families to support the early detection and treatment of asthma.

How you can help

Make a lifesaving gift to support our work now and for the future at projecthope.org/donate

Are you a healthcare or other professional who would like to learn more about volunteering abroad with Project HOPE? Learn more about our volunteer program and join our volunteer roster.

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