I hope for the support of all private sectors of the Indonesian business world and all levels of society to realize the elimination of TB in 2030. (This is crucial) for the sake of achieving the highest level of public health
Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Health Ministry affirmed that the target for the elimination of tuberculosis (TB) by 2030 necessitates participation from all sectors as mandated by Presidential Regulation Number 67 of 2021 on Tuberculosis Mitigation.
“TB elimination is our shared responsibility according to the mandate contained in Presidential Regulation Number 67 of 2021. An active role and support from across sectors is urgently needed to be free from TB in 2030,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated at the webinar titled “National Synergy to Accelerate TB Elimination by 2030 in Indonesia,” here on Monday.
According to Sadikin, TB eradication cannot be done unilaterally, since TB is an infectious disease that is influenced by socio-economic factors, the environment, health behavior, and other disease conditions.
Related news: Acute kidney injury: BPOM asked to quality test drugs
To this end, cross-sectoral participation is deemed necessary to reduce the risk factors for TB transmission, such as poverty, population density, and malnutrition, Sadikin affirmed.
In addition, Indonesia should increase access to TB control services through cooperation and networks from the private sector and all levels of society.
“I hope for the support of all private sectors of the Indonesian business world and all levels of society to realize the elimination of TB in 2030. (This is crucial) for the sake of achieving the highest level of public health,” the minister emphasized.
Head of the TB and acute respiratory infection (ARI) Working Team of the Ministry of Health, Tiffany Tiara Pakasi, stated that based on the latest data from the Global Tuberculosis Report for 2022, Indonesia currently occupied the second position, with the highest TB caseload after India, up from the third position in the previous year.
Related news: Prompt herd immunity formation protects Indonesia from XBB: Minister
The data shows that TB cases in Indonesia are estimated at 969 thousand, with a death toll of 144 thousand.
“This is an uncomfortable incident, and there must be collaboration, innovation, and intervention efforts,” Pakasi emphasized.
She noted that efforts to accelerate TB elimination aligned with the 2020-2024 National Strategy for TB Control, specifically by strengthening the commitment and leadership of the central, provincial, and district and city governments.
This should be followed by increasing access to qualified and patient-friendly TB services; intensifying health efforts; increasing research, development, and innovation in the field of TB control; stepping up the role of communities and stakeholders, as well as other multi-sectors; and strengthening program management.
Pakasi affirmed that Indonesia was targeting to reduce the incidence of TB to 65 per 100 thousand population and reduce the death rate due to TB to six per 100 thousand population in 2030.
She stated that the community can participate by organizing TB control activities, especially those that are promotive, preventive, and rehabilitative.
In addition, the community could help by providing complementary support for TB patients, preventing stigma and discrimination against TB cases, providing inputs in policy making, and helping to conduct joint mitigation with the government on the psychosocial and economic impacts faced by drug-resistant TB patients and their families.
Related news: Gov’t conducts three efforts to evenly distribute specialist doctors
Related news: 2nd G20 HMM outlines 6 actions to improve global health architecture