Pandemic Covid-19 and the Demographic Bonus

The demographic bonus is an opportunity for economic growth created by changes in the population structure, where the proportion of the productive age population is greater than the proportion of the non-productive age population. The existence of a demographic bonus can have a positive or negative impact. The positive impact or advantage of the demographic bonus is that the productive age population has good skills and quality and is able to be competitive in the field to find work, while the demographic bonus can be a disaster when a country is not ready to face this phenomenon.

   During the COVID-19 pandemic, the demographic bonus has an impact on several aspects, such as the occurrence of Lockdown Generation (unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic), disruption of education, and the formation of techno-sociopreneurs. The efforts and strategies that can be carried out are the good participation of the government, the community (especially the youth), and the health sector so that they can overcome the negative influence of the demographic bonus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In overcoming the negative impact of the demographic bonus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government is trying to make a new policy, namely the Pre-Employment Card Program. This program is a temporary solution in improving the skills and productivity of people who do not have jobs in certain sectors. Apart from the government's efforts, the role of the community is also very necessary in dealing with the negative effects of the demographic bonus during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the role of young people. Indonesian youth are pillars of human capital and at the same time the foundation of the nation's hopes. Young people who are productive and have a high spirit of enthusiasm are the main factors in the sustainability of life in the future. Youth are expected to become promoters in efforts to deal with COVID-19 and become examples in following and implementing the regulations that have been issued by the government, so that the benefits of the demographic bonus can be achieved easily. The role of the health sector is needed not only in health issues, but also in education issues related to the negative impact of the demographic bonus during this pandemic. Health promotion efforts carried out by health workers are one of the benchmarks in WHO regarding the extent to which health education is understood in the community.