TB Number In Indonesia Is High, Ministry Of Health Reports 118,438 Cases In 2023

Photos of patient passengers with tuberculosis (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - TB cases in Indonesia are still relatively high, with the average case finding rate ranging from 443,235 in 2021, and increasing to 717,941 cases in 2022.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health has traced active cases of tuberculosis (TBC) to people's homes to look for symptomatic people, in order to break the chain of transmission from an early age.

"If we can find TB early, at least 90 to 95 percent, we hope that transmission can be cut off," said Head of the Communication and Public Service Bureau of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, who was confirmed as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, March 21.

Nadia said the TB cases in Indonesia were still relatively high, with the average case finding rate ranging from 443,235 in 2021, and increasing to 717,941 cases in 2022.

Temporary data for 2023 ranges from 118,438 cases, from the estimated number of cases in Indonesia reaching 900 thousand TB cases.

This figure puts Indonesia in the second position of the most TB cases in the world based on data from the 2022 Global TB Report (GTR).

Especially for TB in children, there has also been a significant increase, from 42,187 cases in 2021 to 100,726 cases in 2022, and 18,144 cases in 2023.

"Our efforts are also to provide TB treatment for children who have contact with patients. If we look now, we also carry out active screening at home to find people with cough symptoms, then an examination is carried out. So we don't wait for people to come to the puskesmas anymore," he said.

The Ministry of Health mobilizes cadres to health workers at the puskesmas level to reach TB patients to their homes.

Nadia added that the TB cases in Indonesia had become a serious problem before the era of the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

"At the time of COVID-19, we admit that the focus is somewhat reduced in handling TB. Do not let COVID-19 be handled now, but TB then becomes a priority for the main problem again," he said.

On the agenda of awarding the 2023 COVID-19 Pandemic Handling Award at the Dhanapala Building, Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu), Jakarta, Monday, March 20, Indonesian President Joko Widodo reminded the public and stakeholders to be aware of the TB case.

The President advised that efforts to overcome a number of diseases in Indonesia be handled through the mutual cooperation method, as has been established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For example TB, be careful. Stunting, increasing food production, reducing poverty, if we work as in handling COVID-19, big problems like this can actually be resolved very quickly," he said.