Jakarta – The government through the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia together with cross-sector partners and civil society officially launched the National TB Alert Movement. This launch is a form of collective commitment in tackling Tuberculosis (TB) in Indonesia, while also marking a real step towards the target of eliminating TB by 2030.
Carrying the theme “Real Steps to Building a Healthy and Strong Nation,” this movement emphasizes the importance of national synergy to encourage early detection, appropriate treatment, and strict supervision of TB sufferers throughout the country.
In the launching event held in Jakarta, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin highlighted the latent danger of TB which is still a serious health threat in Indonesia. He said that this disease has existed for thousands of years and has claimed more than one billion lives globally.
“In Indonesia itself, it is estimated that there are one million cases of TB every year and 125 thousand of them die. That means, every four minutes one Indonesian dies from TB,” said the Minister of Health.
He emphasized that TB can actually be cured because the medicine is available. However, the challenge lies in its rapid transmission through the air and the low public awareness to carry out early detection. Therefore, the Minister of Health emphasized the importance of early intervention through the active role of health cadres in the field.
“This year our target is to find one million TB cases. Currently, there are 800 thousand. Cadres must help find the rest,” he said.
He also requested that patients who have been detected be given immediate treatment without having to wait for a referral to the hospital. “Don’t delay. Don’t be referred to the hospital, give them medicine immediately. This is important so that they don’t infect others,” he emphasized again.
Furthermore, the Minister of Health reminded the importance of patient support during treatment. He explained that the TB healing process takes quite a long time, and if treatment is interrupted midway, patients can experience drug resistance.
“If resistance occurs, the treatment process will become more complex and require further treatment, so early prevention is the key to the government’s success,” he explained.
This movement is a strategic initiative of the central government which is now being expanded with a spirit of collaboration between all elements of the nation.
Head of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Hasan Hasbi emphasized that the TB issue received special attention from President Prabowo Subianto as part of the grand vision of building the quality of human resources towards Golden Indonesia 2045.
“Don’t let the golden age, but the generation is not. So we must ensure that our generation is healthy, free from diseases such as TB,” he said.
He also added that eradicating TB is one of three national priorities in the health sector, along with free health check programs and hospital construction.
The launch of the National TB Alert Movement is an important milestone in the collective effort to end the threat of TB in Indonesia. It is hoped that, with the synergy of all parties, the ideal of a TB-free Indonesia will not only be a hope, but a reality that can be realized soon.
