Health Ministry expands free TB screening to Islamic boarding schools

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2 hours ago

Jombang, Jawa Timur` (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Health has expanded free tuberculosis (TB) screening and early detection services to Islamic boarding schools, including Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School in Jombang, East Java.

“To expand early detection, the Ministry of Health will purchase thousands of X-ray devices that can be used to conduct widespread screening,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said at A. Wahid Hasyim High School, here on Thursday.

“The screening will be brought to various locations, including schools, Islamic boarding schools, and correctional facilities, particularly places with high-density or dormitory-style living arrangements,” he said.

During his visit to monitor the tuberculosis screening, the minister was also informed that 26 students had tested positive for tuberculosis.

However, he hoped the students would not face negative stigma, emphasizing that the findings were ultimately positive because those diagnosed could receive treatment earlier.

“After undergoing treatment for about one month, the risk of transmission can be eliminated. Therefore, people should not regard tuberculosis as a shameful disease, as effective treatment is already available free of charge,” the minister said.

The minister expressed hope that the tuberculosis screening program could be expanded to around 42,000 other Islamic boarding schools. He also praised the administrators of Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School for being among the first to initiate tuberculosis screening for their students.

President Prabowo Subianto wants tuberculosis in Indonesia to be eliminated as soon as possible.

The disease poses a serious problem, causing an estimated 120,000 to 140,000 deaths annually in Indonesia, a figure reportedly higher than the number of deaths caused by COVID-19. It is estimated that two people die from tuberculosis every five minutes.

Indonesia currently ranks second after India in terms of tuberculosis burden. Yet effective treatments for tuberculosis are already available.

One of the factors contributing to the high death toll is that many cases are detected too late, as screening has traditionally required examinations such as X-rays and, in some cases, PCR tests.