Jakarta, April 26 -- Indonesia's Health Ministry has added eye screening to its 2026 Free Health Check (CKG) Program and ensured cataract surgery coverage under national insurance, citing hundreds of thousands of blindness cases that threaten productivity.

Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said around 600,000-650,000 cataract-related blindness cases were recorded in 2025, posing risks to national productivity, particularly among older adults.

Health Ministry data show 81.2 percent of blindness among people aged over 50 is primarily caused by cataracts.

"If untreated, cataracts lead not only to vision loss but also reduced social roles and productivity," he said on Sunday.

Screening results from the 2025-2026 program found...