The Ministry of Health Says CKG and Innovation Are Steps to Accelerate Eliminating TB

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Health (Wamenkes) Benjamin Paulus Octavianus said that accelerating the elimination of tuberculosis (TB) through Free Health Check (CKG) and innovation is a hope in facing the transmission and death due to the disease.

The Minister of Health Benjamin in Jakarta, Tuesday, said Indonesia recorded more than one million cases of TB every year, making it one of the countries with the highest TB burden in the world.

Therefore, the government encourages rapid steps through massive early detection, including the CKG Program with a target of reaching 130 million people by 2026.

In addition, the hope to eliminate TB, he said, still exists through innovation, with more than 100 diagnostic tools, 29 TB drugs, and 18 vaccine candidates being developed for follow-up.

"Tuberculosis is still a big challenge. This is not only a health problem, but also related to social, economic, nutritional, and environmental factors," said Wamenkes Benjamin.

He said every minute, two people are infected with TB and every four minutes one person dies in Indonesia. Therefore, the initiative is also strengthened by other strategies, namely tracking close contacts, giving TB prevention therapy, and strengthening the role of the community and health cadres.

"There is no time to delay. Every case found and treated is a step to save lives," said Wamenkes Benjamin.

WHO Representative in Indonesia Setiawan Jati Laksono agreed that global support needed to be strengthened. He said Indonesia contributed about 10 percent of the total global TB cases.

Data shows that in 2024 there were around 118,000 deaths from TB in people without HIV and 8,100 deaths in people with HIV in Indonesia.

"TB is still a global threat. There is progress, but not fast enough. Political commitment and national funding are very decisive," he said.

The WHO also highlighted major challenges, such as undiagnosed cases, drug-resistant TB, as well as risk factors such as malnutrition, diabetes, and smoking habits.

Previously, the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) said that it had established cross-agency cooperation to strengthen prevention, such as by renovating houses with the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning (PKP), so that the houses have good ventilation to prevent the growth of TB germs.

In addition, he said, working together to provide good nutrition to increase body immunity so that it can fight the germs that cause TB.