Global Funding For TB Control Agreed To Increase 4-fold To IDR 278 Trillion

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Health Dante Saksono Harbuwono said that the global funding for the Tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control program was agreed to increase fourfold through the G20 forum in Yogyakarta on 29-30 March 2022.

"We have agreed to invest as much as US$20 billion (Rp278 trillion) per year from 2023-2030. The investment will be used for the development of vaccines, medicines and research related to TB," Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono said in a written statement. received in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Friday, April 1.

Dante said the funding was four times larger than the previous allocation and had been agreed at the G20 Side Event on TB meeting in Yogyakarta.

In 2020, investment in TB control is around USD 5.3 billion or approximately IDR 76 trillion, more than the required allocation of USD 13 billion or approximately IDR 186 trillion which is required every year.

In the same year, the amount of funds for TB research and development needs was around 915 million US dollars or approximately more than IDR 13.6 trillion.

Dante said that for the first time there was a decline in financing for the TB program as part of essential health services due to a shift in budget support to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic to US$ 5.3 billion, down 8.7 percent in 2019 and 2020.

If the funding problem is not addressed immediately, said Dante, it is estimated that more than 31 million people will continue to die every year and cause global economic losses of USD 18.5 trillion between 2020-2050.

Dante said the G20 side event on TB was not only a support for the 1st Health Working Group event, but also a means for stakeholders to prioritize TB treatment and ensure that the financing aspects of TB control were adequate, predictable, and sustainable so that the 2030 TB elimination target was successful.

Not only that, Indonesia as the chair of the G20 presidency is also trying to strengthen multilateral support so that TB control, especially the type of drug resistance that threatens global health security, can be controlled by each country, said Dante adding.

Dante also encourages the role of countries to share good practices. TB prevention and control in the country, especially the country with the highest number of active TB cases in Indonesia.

As a country with the third-largest number of TB sufferers in the world, said Dante, Indonesia conveyed its commitment to accelerate TB control through cross-sectoral and cross-role cooperation, implementing TB handling rules, finding active TB cases in the community, and carrying out various health service innovations and strengthening health facilities.

“We are trying to eliminate TB this year many times. We are targeting a figure of 95 percent in 2024, for this year we have reached 49 percent, the efforts we make must be doubled from now," he said.

Dante is optimistic that the TB elimination target by 2030 can be achieved through innovative, creative, and collaborative efforts from all stakeholders at the national, bilateral, and multilateral levels.

"We are very optimistic, through cross-sector collaboration together, we believe that TB elimination in 2030 can be achieved," he said.