Daijiworld Media Network - Jakarta

Jakarta, Mar 24: Indonesia has intensified its nationwide campaign against tuberculosis (TB) on World TB Day, unveiling a series of measures aimed at reducing infections, improving detection, and achieving its target of eliminating the disease by 2030.

Tuberculosis continues to pose a serious health challenge in the country. According to the Global TB Report 2024, Indonesia ranks second globally in TB burden after India, with an estimated 1.09 million cases and around 125,000 deaths annually—equivalent to roughly 14 fatalities every hour.

Speaking at a parliamentary hearing, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin emphasized that while effective treatment exists, the disease persists due to gaps in detection and care. He noted that the government aims to identify and treat at least one million TB patients within a year, targeting a treatment success rate of 90 percent.

A key pillar of this effort is the upcoming National TB Strategic Plan 2025–2029, developed with support from the World Health Organization. The plan focuses on strengthening detection systems, improving treatment outcomes, and enhancing community participation while addressing systemic gaps in healthcare delivery.

Reforms are also underway to bolster legal and financial frameworks supporting TB control. Recommendations from WHO include revising existing regulations to improve coordination, ensure sustainable funding, and accelerate diagnosis and referrals, helping bridge the gap between estimated and reported cases.

Since mid-2025, Indonesia has upgraded its disease surveillance by integrating the TB Information System into the Satu Sehat digital health platform. This move is expected to enhance real-time reporting and help identify undiagnosed patients, particularly among high-risk groups such as children and individuals living with HIV.

Authorities acknowledge that underreporting remains a major hurdle, with a significant proportion of cases previously going undetected. Strengthening data systems and expanding digital integration are seen as critical steps toward ensuring timely treatment and reducing transmission.

Beyond clinical measures, the government is expanding community-based interventions by reinforcing local health networks, increasing awareness, and tackling risk factors such as smoking, malnutrition, diabetes, and alcohol use.

Indonesia is also investing in innovation, particularly vaccine development. The TB vaccine candidate M72/AS01E is currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials in the country, involving more than 2,000 participants. The trials are expected to conclude around 2028, potentially paving the way for widespread use.

Health expert Tjandra Yoga Aditama noted that the new vaccine could play a transformative role by preventing TB in adults, complementing or replacing the existing BCG vaccine. He added that it may also function as an adjunct therapy, helping to shorten treatment duration.

With a combination of policy reform, technological upgrades, community engagement, and scientific innovation, Indonesia is aiming to significantly curb TB and move closer to its elimination goal within the next decade.