Community Health System Assessment for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in Indonesia: A Nursing Perspective

As in many countries, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are a significant health problem in Indonesia. This assessment of Indonesia’s community health system identified areas that could be strengthened in order to promote the development and implementation of a community health program for NCD prevention and health promotion in the country. In doing so, key components of a well-functioning community health system were assessed based on information obtained from the websites of the World Health Organization, the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Provincial Health Office, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Research Technology and Higher Education, and Nursing Association. Even though a national strategic health plan for NCD prevention and health promotion has been developed, progress with respect to this initiative at the provincial and district levels has not been adequately documented. However, the Indonesian Ministry of Health has recently commenced national community-based research in the form of a survey that is conducted at the district level. Despite the fact that community health posts provide services such as the measurement of body mass index, blood pressure, and blood glucose, in addition to education concerning smoking, exercise, and one’s diet, the extent to which such services are implemented differs among provinces. Factors that hinder provision of community health services for NCD prevention and health promotion include regional disparities with respect to nursing personnel, a limited understanding of what NCD prevention and control entails in relation to community health nursing, and sparse coverage of adult nursing in nursing curricula. Therefore, in order to strengthen the development and implementation of a community health program for NCD prevention and health promotion, it is essential to use the results obtained from the survey to develop and implement health policies for NCD prevention and health promotion that meet the specific needs of each district. It is also necessary to integrate NCD prevention and health promotion into the national standard for community health nursing. Likewise, it is important for basic nursing education to place greater emphasis on life-course perspectives, prevention, and promotion.