2,037 entries submitted to Indonesia’s 2026 creative health article and video competition

A total of 2,037 entries from across Indonesia were submitted to the 2026 Creative Health Article and Video Competition, held under the theme “Healthy Communities, Strong Indonesia.” The entries addressed a range of health issues through articles and videos tailored to different audiences.

Marroli Jeni Indarto, director of institutional communications partnerships and public relations at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, said communication helps people understand government health programs. He cited nutrition, stunting prevention, free health checks, efforts to end tuberculosis and hospital revitalization as examples of current priorities.

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Health development is an ongoing process, from attention to nutrition and stunting prevention to current government priority programs such as free health checks, efforts to end tuberculosis and hospital revitalization.

Health information, Marroli said, must be delivered in a way that people can easily understand so they recognize its benefits and take part in the programs. He also stressed the importance of reaching younger generations through initiatives such as the Clean and Healthy Generation, or Genbest, program, which has operated since 2017.

“Health communication is not only about how we deliver information, but about how information creates change and provides long-term benefits,” Marroli said. He argued that communication should move beyond distributing information and encourage people to apply health knowledge in everyday life.

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Communication is important so that people know about, understand and then take part in health programs.

Of the entries, 1,196 were articles and 841 were creative videos. Individuals and communities took part. A curation process selected 16 winners in four categories: individual articles, community articles, individual videos and community videos. Each category had four winners, from favorite choice to first place, with total prizes of 50 million rupiah.

The awards event also featured a discussion with judges on health communication, journalism, storytelling, media production and strategies for delivering information on digital platforms. Held online and in person as part of celebrations for Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day, the competition produced material that can be used to reach wider audiences and encourage changes in public behavior.

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Health communication is not only about how we deliver information, but about how information creates change and provides long-term benefits.