The World Health Organization’s (WHO) new publication “Health inequality monitoring: harnessing data to advance health equity” highlights the critical role of effective monitoring in addressing unfair and avoidable differences in health outcomes. It consolidates key principles and emerging practices, offering technical guidance on data sources, analytical methods and strategies to translate evidence into policy action.
Global progress over the past two decades has improved life expectancy and reduced the burden of communicable diseases. However, health disparities persist within and between countries. The 2023 WHO Universal Health Coverage Global Monitoring Report found that service coverage index scores in low-income countries averaged 53 out of 100, compared to 77 out of 100 in high-income countries.
Indonesia has made significant progress in expanding access to health services, notably through the Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) universal health coverage programme, launched in 2014. However, significant disparities remain. Between 2010 and 2020, Indonesia’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) declined by 45%, from 346 deaths per 100 000 live births to 189. Yet eastern provinces such as Papua (565), West Papua (343) and East Nusa Tenggara (316) recorded much higher MMRs compared to DKI Jakarta (48) and DI Yogyakarta (58).
The new WHO publication is intended for use by public health professionals, policy makers, researchers and statisticians. It emphasizes the critical need to collect and analyze disaggregated data – by income, gender, education, age and geography – and shows how best to apply this information to inform equity-focused policies and programmes.
In Indonesia, uptake of these and other recommendations will support implementation of the Medium-term National Development Plan 2025–2029 (RPJMN), which prioritizes reducing stunting, improving maternal and child health, and controlling communicable and noncommunicable diseases. It will contribute to the Health Transformation Agenda, which aims to strengthen health governance, primary health care and health system resilience.
WHO will continue to work closely with Indonesia to improve the quality and use of health data, build analytical capacity and integrate equity across health policies and programmes. This includes leveraging digital health solutions through Indonesia’s SATUSEHAT platform to enhance data collection and analysis for more effective, targeted interventions.
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