Child Deaths in Indonesia Spark Calls to Tackle Mental Health and Poverty
February 18, 2026
Indonesia faces a serious concern after the deaths of three children raised alarms on mental health and poverty. On February 12, two girls aged 14 and 12 were found dead in East Kalimantan and Central Java. Police did not find signs of foul play but suspected bullying and poor parenting. Earlier on January 29, a 10-year-old boy died in Ngada, East Nusa Tenggara, one of the poorest areas in Indonesia. He lived with his grandmother in a bamboo hut without electricity or sanitation. The boy’s mother, an irregular farm worker, could not afford his school supplies. Dion Roa, the village head, said the boy had asked for money to buy a pen and notebook the night before he died. His mother refused because of financial hardship. The family was not part of any government welfare scheme. Experts warn many other cases might go unreported and have asked teachers to watch closely for emotional distress in students. The incident is seen as a “wake-up call” to improve mental health care and social aid for vulnerable families across Indonesia.
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Tags:
Indonesia
Child deaths
Mental health
Poverty
Education
Welfare Programmes
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