Bill Gates Holds Key Talks with Indonesian Leader on Health and Sustainable Development

Bill Gates arrived in Indonesia on Wednesday to discuss health and sustainable development initiatives with the leader of the world’s fourth most populous country.

Gates met President Prabowo Subianto At the Colonial-style Merdeka Palace in Jakarta The Indonesian presidential office stated beforehand that they intended to talk about worldwide health issues, nutritional matters, access to finance, and public digital infrastructure during the meeting.

Indonesia, comprising 17,000 islands spread over three time zones and home to a populace exceeding 280 million people, initiated an extensive initiative this year aimed at combating malnutrition. This programme seeks to provide nourishment for almost 90 million children and expectant mothers. Estimated to require 450 trillion rupiah (£28 billion) until 2029, some sceptics debate its financial feasibility.

On Monday, Subianto stated that his discussion with Gates would centre around Gates' backing of Indonesia's Free Nutritious Meals programme, referred to locally as the MBG initiative. This key project, spearheaded by his government, seeks to enhance children's health and decrease poverty levels.

During his first in-person visit to the Indonesian capital, Gates is also scheduled to visit a primary school in eastern Jakarta where more than 500 students were taking part of the program.

The UNICEF suggests that one out of every 12 Indonesian children under the age of 5 experiences underweight issues, whereas one out of every five is below average height. These problems stem from inadequate nutrition.

Subianto's program has drawn criticism from investors and analysts over the scale of its logistics, the burden on state finances and the economy, and its relation to the interests of industrial lobby groups.

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