Standards of Living Assignment

As of 2017, Indonesia has a population of 260,580,739, which is a very large number of people living there. But, as fertility rate remains above replacement level, the population will likely continue to increase. As more children are being born, and as the population increases more children need to be provided with health care and proper nutrition. Which is a problem, the infant mortality rate is 22.7 deaths/ 1,000 live births and the likely hood of children dying due to major infectious diseases is very high and are at risk at  getting bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever as well as malaria  dengue fever. But, the main reason is due to malnutrition, 37.2% of children under the age of five are stunted, which means to prevent from growing or developing properly, and public awareness of this issue is low. Stunting can reduce an individual’s productivity at a young age, and increases risks of developing non-communicable diseases when older – this is the double burden of malnutrition. Although, Indonesia has come along way from 1990, when, the rate of mortality of children under five years old was surprisingly low, from 85 out of 100 births, to only 31 in 2012, stunting is still a major concern. A good way to help solve this major problem would be to implement a new national planning program that could assist in bringing the fertility rate down closer to replacement level. Along with affecting nutrition, malnutrition has a damaging impact on the developing brain. Stunting reduces IQ scores by 5-11 points, children affected tend to receive lower grades, children with low birth weight are 2.6 times less likely to go on to higher education or graduate and stunted children will earn at least 10 percent less in lifetime earnings. When children are stunted at an early age, it creates a major impact on their productivity and development over time, poor education and low grades results in lower earnings and job opportunities. Every child is important, and no child deserves to be stunted, especially at a very young age. Indonesia needs to create programs to help fund the many children who cant afford basic health care as well as children who cannot be given the proper nutrition and treatment to help them grown and develop properly. 

The amount of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS is 620,000 as of 2016, and the deaths of people affected by HIV/AIDS is 38,000 as of 2016. Both numbers are far too high.  In 2016, Indonesia had 48 000 (43 000 - 52 000) new HIV infections and 38 000 (34 000 - 43 000) AIDS-related deaths. There were 620 000 (530 000 - 730 000) people living with HIV in 2016, among whom 13% (11% - 15%) were accessing antiretroviral therapy. The general population of people affected by HIV are sex workers, gay men, people who inject drugs, prisoners and transgender people.  Since 2010, new HIV infections have increased by 68% and AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 22%. Although there is therapy/ treatment available, many people do not have access to it because of the cost. Indonesia has a large population, as has a large population of people living with HIV, as the population grows and increases, more people are likely to get HIV/AIDS. A good idea would be to try and stop the issue before it even has the chance to start. By implementing programs to, help educate people about HIV as well as how to be safe while having sex, to provide more affordable health care and treatment that is easily accessible by everyone, spreading awareness regarding drug use and the affect it has on your body, providing free contraception like condoms to teenagers and adults, and providing many poor sex workers shelters to stay in, jobs to have and nutrition ad basic needs to be provided to many people who become sex workers because they cannot afford basic expenses 

Because of Indonesia's high population rate, rapid industrialization and the fact that Indonesia is given a lower priority due to poverty levels and an under-resourced governance, many environmental issues occur. Deforestation is often very common in Indonesia, the majority of it being illegal as well as related wildfires. Deforestation and the destruction of peat lands threatens the survival of indigenous species, including 140 species of mammals identified by the World Conservation Union as threatened, and 15 identified as endangered, Along with deforestation, Indonesia suffers from water pollution from industrial wastes and sewage; air pollution in urban areas from cars, buses, and other motor vehicles; and smoke from wildfires. Because of this pressing issue, many international environmental groups have begun to monitor pollution in its national territorial waters and to take legal action to prevent the destruction of its rain forests.   The government has addressed increasing environmental problems by establishing resource-management programs, enacting and implementing more affected laws, and conducting better policy enforcements. However, corruption has slowed down the process against environmental degradation. Because of Indonesia's placement, it leaves the country to suffer from extreme flooding, drought, earthquakes and volcanic activity, so, there is not much Indonesia can do except for prepare for those unpredictable events to occur. But, deforestation (cutting down trees, forest fires, smoke and haze, erosion) is a human activity that has caused the country to suffer from many different ways. The government needs to implement better programs to protect wild life and the ecosystem as as well as enforce stricter laws regarding cutting down trees and preserving indigenous species.