Public health

Large COVID outbreaks in prisons are only a part of a bigger problem in terms of the state overlooking the welfare of prisoners.

Perceived religious prohibition, vaccine coercion, anti-Chinese sentiment and reliance on alternative health and hygiene practices are contributing to low vaccination acceptance.

The voices of and inputs from communities and civil society in national strategic development planning have not been heard.

An important and unanswered question is the extent to which traditions of subsistence farming may still keep families afloat.

The illusion that the domestic space is only a site for social reproduction is over, but what will replace it?

Local media are failing to supervise regional Indonesia, with many relying on government PR budgets or politicians’ fresh cash.

The current arrangements slow initial local responses without a corresponding payoff.

Neighbourhood leaders enjoy high levels of public trust but concerns about legitimacy and conflict limit the extent to which they can implement COVID-19 restrictions.

The Ministry of Health needs to make the strategic leap from awareness to research and intervention.

The approach used in the creation of these policies ignores that women may face more difficulty in accessing the promised benefits.

An influx of new ideas might boost rural and coastal sectors, but unemployment looms large too.

During the pandemic, “immodest” or ungrateful receiving by the poor has been strongly denounced both by the state and middle-class donors.

LGBTQ+ Indonesians are driving some of the most effective community responses to the hardships of the pandemic.

Many Filipino students don't have computers or internet access for online learning during COVID-19. On "subaltern social media strategies" for demanding equitable access.

Extraordinary measures may in the long run jeopardize civil liberties and constitutional democracy.

In the Philippines, local governments are stepping up to cover gaps in national public health and welfare infrastructure.

While not resource-rich, Vietnam's intelligent communication methods helped maintain zero recorded deaths from the pandemic.

In the manufacturing hub of Hlaingthaya, migrant women often live in isolation.

Some rural villages have escaped the virus so far, but downturns in tourism and market demand for produce may yet exacerbate already challenging economic conditions.

Indonesian disability activists are leading action to assess needs and advocate for the inclusivity in the government's COVID-19 response.

Infection rates appear low in NTT, but the economic impacts of the pandemic combined with poor harvest yield are potentially devastating.

The President's handling of the Social Amelioration Program in the regions seems to betray an intention to consolidate centralised power.

"Can Indonesia have food security without security?" Colum Graham looks at who really benefits from the government’s recent measures to address Indonesia’s food crisis.