Pregnancy
Law No. 4 of 2024 on Mother and Child Welfare in the First 1,000 Days of Life, enacted on 2 July 2024, gives every mother the right to health services before, during and after pregnancy with health insurance cover, and to the accompaniment of her husband, family or a professional (Art. 4(1)). A working mother is entitled to maternity leave of at least three months, plus up to three more months when a doctor certifies a complication for her or the child (Art. 4(3)(a) and (5)); the employer must grant it (Art. 4(4)). She cannot be dismissed for taking it (Art. 5(1)) and is paid in full for the first four months and 75% of her wage for the fifth and sixth (Art. 5(2)).
After a miscarriage a working mother is entitled to 1.5 months' rest, or the period certified by a doctor, obstetrician or midwife (Art. 4(3)(b)); she also has the right to lactation facilities during working time and to affordable child care (Art. 4(3)(c) and (e)). Her husband may take two days' leave at childbirth, extendable by up to three days, or two days after a miscarriage (Art. 6(2)), and gets reasonable time off when the wife or child has a health complication or dies (Art. 6(3)). If a mother is dismissed or denied these rights, the central or regional government must provide legal aid (Art. 5(3)). The rules for civil servants, soldiers and police were to be aligned within two years of enactment (Art. 43(b)).
On care, Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024 requires antenatal care to standard and in an integrated way: information and counselling, screening for risk factors and complications, support for high-risk pregnancies, nutrition supplements, medical services and referral for complications (Art. 11(2) and (3)). The 2017 Indonesia DHS recorded that 98% of women with a recent birth had antenatal care from a skilled provider, 82% a first visit in the first trimester and 77% at least four visits; 74% of births were in a health facility, 91% were assisted by a skilled provider and 17% were by caesarean section; 87% of mothers and 79% of newborns had a postnatal check within two days.
Health insurance follows the National Social Security Law: participants in the health scheme are persons who pay contributions or whose contributions the government pays, and family members are entitled to the benefits (Art. 20(1) and (2) of the 2004 text); the government registers the poor and those unable to pay as contribution recipients (Art. 14). The 2017 DHS cites the Sustainable Development Goal target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030, against the 144 reported for 2025 on UNFPA's page, which attributes the 2015 figure to the census and the 2025 figure to the 2025 Intercensal Population Survey.
Key points
| Maternal mortality ratio | 305 (2015), 189 (2020), 144 (2025) per 100,000 live births (UNFPA Indonesia) |
|---|---|
| Antenatal care from a skilled provider | 98%; first visit in the first trimester 82%; four or more visits 77% (IDHS 2017) |
| Births in a health facility | 74%; skilled birth assistance 91%; caesarean section 17% (IDHS 2017) |
| Postnatal check within two days | Mothers 87%; newborns 79% (IDHS 2017) |
| Maternity leave | At least 3 months, plus up to 3 months with a doctor's certificate (Law No. 4 of 2024 Art. 4(3)(a)) |
| Pay during leave | Full for months 1 to 4; 75% of wage for months 5 and 6 (Art. 5(2)) |
| Leave after a miscarriage | 1.5 months, or as certified by a doctor, obstetrician or midwife (Art. 4(3)(b)) |
| Husband's leave | 2 days at childbirth plus up to 3 more; 2 days after a miscarriage (Art. 6(2)) |
| Dismissal | A mother taking maternity leave or miscarriage rest cannot be dismissed (Art. 5(1)) |
In practice
- Register the pregnancy with a first-level health facility, a midwife or a doctor: antenatal care must follow the standard set by Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024 (Art. 11).
- Tell the employer the leave dates in advance; leave beyond three months needs a doctor's certificate of a complication for the mother or child (Law No. 4 of 2024 Art. 4(5)).
- If the employer refuses leave or dismisses a mother for taking it, ask central or regional government for the legal aid that Art. 5(3) obliges them to provide.
- A husband can ask for accompaniment leave of two days at the birth, extendable by up to three days or as agreed (Art. 6(2)).
- Check how the mother and any family members are enrolled in the national health scheme: family members are entitled to benefits and further dependants can be added with additional contributions (Law No. 40 of 2004 Art. 20(2) and (3)).
Cost and coverage
Health insurance under the 2004 social security law covers participants who pay contributions or whose contributions the government pays; family members receive benefits, and additional dependants can be added for extra contributions (Art. 20); the text of Law No. 4 of 2024 guarantees health services 'with fulfilment of health insurance' (Art. 4(1)(a)).
Recent changes
Law No. 4 of 2024 took effect on 2 July 2024 and Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024 on 26 July 2024; UNFPA Indonesia's page reports a maternal mortality ratio of 144 per 100,000 live births for 2025.
Where to go
- First-level health facility, midwife or doctor, for antenatal, delivery and postnatal care under Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024.
- The employer, who must grant the maternity leave (Law No. 4 of 2024 Art. 4(4)); the husband's accompaniment leave is set in Art. 6(2).
- Central or regional government legal aid, if a mother is dismissed or denied her rights (Art. 5(3)).
Worth knowing
The 2017 DHS figures pre-date the 2024 laws, and UNFPA's three maternal mortality values come from different national sources whose labels on its page are not consistent (the 2020 value is credited to the 2015 intercensal survey), so they show a trend rather than a continuous series.
Frequently asked questions
How long is maternity leave in Indonesia?
At least three months, plus up to three more with a doctor's certificate of a complication for mother or child (Law No. 4 of 2024 Art. 4(3)(a) and (5)); pay is full for the first four months and 75% for months five and six (Art. 5(2)).
Can an employer dismiss a worker for taking maternity leave?
No: Art. 5(1) says a mother exercising the leave right cannot be dismissed, and Art. 5(3) obliges the government to provide legal aid if she is dismissed or denied her rights.
Does a father get leave when his wife gives birth?
Yes: two days at childbirth, extendable by up to three days or as agreed, and two days after a miscarriage (Art. 6(2)).
Sources
- Law No. 4 of 2024 on Mother and Child Welfare in the First 1,000 Days of Life (2 July 2024), official copy (JDIH BPK) — Arts. 4 to 6 and 43(b) (official copy, enacted 2 July 2024)
- Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024 implementing the Health Law (26 July 2024), official copy (JDIH BPK) — Art. 11(2) and (3) on antenatal care
- Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey 2017 (BKKBN, BPS, Ministry of Health and The DHS Program), chapter 9 on maternal health care — chapter 9: antenatal care, delivery and postnatal care figures; sustainable development target of 70
- UNFPA Indonesia, Maternal Health (page quoting 305, 189 and 144 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) — maternal mortality figures for 2015, 2020 and 2025
- Law No. 40 of 2004 on the National Social Security System, official copy (JDIH BPK) — Arts. 14 and 20 as printed in 2004 (later amended by Laws No. 4 and No. 6 of 2023)
- Law No. 17 of 2023 on Health, official copy (JDIH BPK) — Art. 4(1)
The general article: Pregnancy · Compare with another country
HIV and AIDS
Health Minister Regulation No. 2 of 2025 on reproductive health services (enacted 20 February 2025) includes among sexual health services the care of sexually transmitted infections including HIV (Art. 52(3)(c)); its preventive measures include early detection of infections and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B (Art. 54(4)). Regulation No. 23 of 2022 on HIV, AIDS and STI control was repealed by Health Minister Regulation No. 3 of 2026 on disease control (enacted 27 February 2026, in force on promulgation), except Art. 41 and the annex, the technical guidelines.
The preventive package for pregnancy is set out in detail: screening for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B of every pregnant woman and her partner who visits a health facility; antiretroviral treatment for the mother and partner who are infected and syphilis treatment for those with syphilis; delivery according to medical indication; prophylaxis for all newborns of mothers infected with HIV or syphilis; breastfeeding according to standards for mothers with HIV; and management of mothers with hepatitis B and their babies (Art. 54(5)). The health-education messages of the same regulation include fidelity to one partner, no relations during an infection, no sexual relations before marriage and prevention of transmission of STIs including HIV (Art. 53(2)).
The annex retained from Regulation No. 23 of 2022 describes a concentrated epidemic: people living with HIV were estimated at 543,100 in 2020, down from 643,443 in 2016; the 2018 integrated biological and behavioural survey found HIV prevalence generally above 10% among key populations; sexual contact has become the main route of transmission, replacing shared needles among people who inject drugs, which dominated in the early 2000s; and in the Papua provinces prevalence in the general population was 2.3% in the 2013 survey, higher (2.9%) in the highlands and among Papuan ethnic groups.
Confidentiality is a statutory right. The Health Law of 2023 gives every patient the right to the confidentiality of personal health data and information (Art. 4(1)(i)) and to receive and refuse care after full information (Art. 4(1)(h)); health facilities must keep patients' health secrets (Art. 177) and doctors, nurses and other health workers must keep them (Arts. 274(c) and 301). Secrecy does not apply to requests by law enforcement, outbreak or disaster control, limited education and research, protecting others from danger to their safety, the patient's own care, the patient's request, insurance administration, or other legal interests (Art. 4(4)).
Rules quoted in older guides have changed. Regulation No. 23 of 2022 had set oral consent for laboratory tests, parental consent below 18 and mandatory HIV and syphilis tests for pregnant women (Arts. 24 and 26(2)); those articles were repealed with the rest of the regulation in 2026, and the screening of pregnant women and their partners now sits in Art. 54(5) of Regulation No. 2 of 2025.
Key points
| Current regulation | Health Minister Regulation No. 2 of 2025, Arts. 52 to 55 (20 February 2025) |
|---|---|
| HIV in sexual health services | STI care including HIV is a sexual health service (Art. 52(3)(c)) |
| Screening in pregnancy | HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B screening of every pregnant woman and her partner (Art. 54(5)(a)) |
| Treatment and prophylaxis | ARVs for the infected mother and partner; prophylaxis for newborns (Art. 54(5)(b) and (d)) |
| Regulation No. 23 of 2022 | Repealed by Regulation No. 3 of 2026 (enacted 27 February 2026) except Art. 41 and the annex |
| People living with HIV | Estimated 543,100 in 2020; 643,443 in 2016 (annex of Regulation No. 23 of 2022) |
| Epidemic type | Concentrated; key-population prevalence above 10% (2018 survey); Papua general population 2.3% (2013) |
| Confidentiality of health data | A patient right (Health Law Art. 4(1)(i)); duty of facilities (Art. 177) and health workers (Art. 301) |
| Limits on confidentiality | Law enforcement, outbreak control, limited research, danger to others and others listed (Art. 4(4)) |
In practice
- For care during pregnancy, ask the health facility for the screening that Art. 54(5) of Regulation No. 2 of 2025 provides for the woman and her partner.
- Ask for treatment and counselling at a health facility: STI care including HIV is a sexual health service under Art. 52(3)(c) of the 2025 regulation.
- Keep your right to confidentiality in view: a health worker or facility may disclose only for the reasons listed in Art. 4(4) of the Health Law, one of which is your own request.
- You can access your own health data and record: Art. 4(1)(j) gives the right to information on your health data, and Art. 297(2) the right of access to the medical record.
Recent changes
Health Minister Regulation No. 3 of 2026, enacted on 27 February 2026, repealed Regulation No. 23 of 2022 on HIV, AIDS and STI control except Art. 41 and the annex.
Where to go
- Any health facility providing sexual health services under Art. 52 of Health Minister Regulation No. 2 of 2025.
- The Ministry of Health, which issued the regulations and the guidelines annex retained from Regulation No. 23 of 2022 (Art. 41).
- Law enforcement or SAPA 129 in cases of sexual violence, which the same regulation treats as a sexual health service for victims (Art. 52(3)(b)).
Worth knowing
Articles of Regulation No. 23 of 2022 on consent for tests (Art. 24) and on mandatory screening of pregnant women (Art. 26(2)) are no longer in force; Art. 99 of Regulation No. 3 of 2026 repeals the regulation except Art. 41 and the annex, so sources dated before 2026 may describe superseded rules. Art. 98 of the 2026 regulation does keep in force, as long as they do not conflict with it, the implementing provisions made under the regulations it repeals.
Frequently asked questions
Are pregnant women in Indonesia tested for HIV?
Art. 54(5)(a) of Health Minister Regulation No. 2 of 2025 provides for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B screening of every pregnant woman and her partner who visits a health facility, with ARV treatment for the infected mother and partner and prophylaxis for the newborn.
Is a person's HIV status confidential in Indonesia?
Yes: Health Law Art. 4(1)(i) gives a patient the right to confidentiality of health data, but Art. 4(4) lists exceptions including law enforcement requests, outbreak control, danger to others and the patient's own request.
How many people live with HIV in Indonesia?
The annex still in force estimates 543,100 in 2020, down from 643,443 in 2016, in a concentrated epidemic with prevalence above 10% in key populations.
Sources
- Health Minister Regulation No. 2 of 2025 on reproductive health services (20 February 2025), official copy (JDIH BPK) — Arts. 52 to 55 (sexual health services, STI including HIV, prevention of mother-to-child transmission)
- Health Minister Regulation No. 3 of 2026 on disease control (enacted 27 February 2026), official copy (JDIH BPK) — Art. 99 (repeal of Regulation No. 23 of 2022 except Art. 41 and annex) and Art. 100
- Health Minister Regulation No. 23 of 2022 on HIV, AIDS and STI control (31 August 2022), official copy with annex (JDIH BPK) — Art. 41 and the annex, chapter II (epidemiology: 543,100 and 643,443; concentrated epidemic; Papua)
- Law No. 17 of 2023 on Health, official copy (JDIH BPK) — Arts. 4(1)(h) to (j), 4(4), 177, 274(c), 297(2) and 301