Poverty from Sugar

Kompas’ coverage on excess sugar consumption serves as a warning. As a result of these issues, health risks turn into poverty issues.

KOMPAS/ALBERTUS KRISNA

M Arif Novianto, father of a child with type 1 diabetes mellitus, showed a set of blood sugar test kits and insulin syringes belonging to his son Moh Faizcenna Dyota Danurdadra Arif to Kompas on Thursday (30/03/2023).

The Kompas data journalism team projects that the burden of treating diabetes, the causes of which include excess sugar consumption and insufficient physical activity, will continue to increase. It also estimates that the number of National Health Insurance (JKN) participants will increase by 3.2 million, from 6.9 million participants in 2022 to 10.2 million participants in 2045.

Additionally, the average handling fee per participant will increase from Rp 912,538 over the past five years (2018-2022) to Rp 2,308,599, based on an average inflation rate of 4.12 percent per year. This means that the total fee for 10.2 million participants in 2045 could reach Rp 23.59 trillion, a drastic increase compared to the current total of Rp 6.3 trillion (Kompas, 14/4/2023).

Also read:

> Diabetes Increasingly Burdens Public Health

> BPJS, Life Support for People with Diabetes

This figure should convince all parties – civil society organizations, academics, professionals, the government – to act immediately. Excessive consumption of sugar without sufficient physical activity has created health problems and will become a serious threat in the future, as more people will suffer from diabetes. One in six Indonesians has this disease.

We can already see the consequences of this issue at the micro level. Families with one member who has diabetes are burdened with huge health costs. They will become stressed by the cost of treatment as it consumes their savings or assets. Many people have relatives or acquaintances who have diabetes.

KOMPAS/ALBERTUS KRISNA

Insulin syringes are mandatory items that must be taken wherever people with diabetes mellitus travel. Although some people with diabetes can be treated with oral medication, not a few have turned to insulin injections in order to maintain blood sugar in their daily activities.

From this illustration, it is clear that there is a relationship between excess sugar consumption without sufficient physical activity and poverty. Looking at the group of people at risk of developing diabetes, this issue will contribute significantly to the national poverty rate. The problem will only get worse, as those who are ill become unproductive. In some cases, other members in a family also become unproductive because they must take care of their sick relatives.

Also read:

> One in six Indonesians Prone to Obesity and Diabetes

> Sweet Beginning That Ends in Suffering

The bigger problem is that the government’s public health budget for both diabetes treatment and research will also increase. The increased budget might reduce the allocations for other sectors, where the funds could have been used for more productive activities. Conversely, if we can tackle the problem of diabetes, these funds can be used for other purposes like addressing poverty, which is still a major problem in the country.

The data journalism coverage on sugar consumption published in Kompas for the last two days should prompt all parties to act. Society needs to suppress the consumption of this commodity. Meanwhile, excess sugar consumption could also be controlled by reimposing the sugar levy.