Indonesia: Over 1,000 children fall ill from free school lunches

The government's multi-billion-dollar "nutritious meals programme" has been plagued by food poisoning.

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Yuyun Sarihotima, head of West Java's Cipongkor Community Health Center, told BBC Indonesia that the total number of poisoning victims recorded between Monday and Wednesday had reached 1,258.

It follows the poisoning of 800 students last week in West Java and Central Sulawesi provinces.

President Prabowo has made the nutritious meals programme – which aims to offer free lunches to 80 million school children – a signature of his leadership.

But a spate of mass food poisoning incidents has led non-governmental organisations to call for authorities to suspend the programme due to health concerns.