Badung, Bali (ANTARA) – The Indonesian government is targeting the provision of 10,600 molecular diagnostic devices to detect tuberculosis (TB) by 2027 as part of efforts to accelerate case detection and disease control.
Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin on Thursday noted that the government had started a new TB screening program in 2026.
He said that currently, around 4,000 near-point-of-care (NPOC) molecular diagnostic devices have been prepared, and this number will be increased to 10,600.
“By the end of 2026, we will have around 4,000 near-point-of-care molecular diagnostic devices, which will be increased to 10,600. These devices will be distributed to community health centers (Puskesmas) across 7,000 islands to serve 290 million population,” he conveyed at the 40th Stop TB Partnership Board Meeting 2026 in Bali.
The devices are slated for distribution to primary healthcare facilities, including community health centers (Puskesmas), to ensure wider access for communities throughout Indonesia.
Sadikin said expanding testing capacity is essential to improving access to TB diagnosis for the country’s approximately 290 million people across its vast territory.
The government is also seeking to lower the cost of molecular testing. With support from the Global Fund, the cost has fallen to US$3.6 per test, with a further reduction to below US$3 targeted by 2027.
Moreover, the government is pursuing the use of x-ray machines to support TB screening, with a total of 800 portable and mobile x-ray machines installed by 2026, the minister added.
The following year, the government plans to add 4,000 x-ray machines. By 2028, the government aims to equip 10,000 community health centers with AI-powered X-ray facilities.
Sadikin expressed hopes on the combination of AI-based X-ray examinations and molecular diagnostics to significantly increase TB case detection.
He targets screening capacity to reach approximately 10 times Indonesia’s estimated TB burden, or approximately 10 million people through primary healthcare facilities.
This effort is expected to increase the detection of TB patients, both those with active TB and those requiring further examination and treatment, he remarked.
The minister emphasized that expanding screening coverage is essential to identifying TB patients and ensuring they receive treatment promptly.
“We aim to screen around 10 million people, equivalent to 10 times Indonesia’s estimated TB caseload, using X-ray machines and molecular diagnostic tests at community health centers. We hope this will improve TB case detection rates for both active and non-clinical TB,” he said.
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Translator: Rolandus Nampu, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Primayanti
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