Jakarta, March 24 (IANS). On the occasion of World TB Day, Indonesia announced that it will fight the war against tuberculosis (TB) with full vigor. The country is taking concrete strategic steps at the national level to prevent infection, trace the infected and move rapidly towards the bigger goal of eradicating the disease by 2030.
TB remains a major challenge in Indonesia. According to the Global TB Report 2024, Indonesia is at second place after India. It is estimated that about 10 lakh 90 thousand TB cases are reported here every year, while the death toll from it is 1,25,000, which is equivalent to about 14 people dying every hour.
“The drug exists and is very effective, but the problem remains. It has not been completely eradicated from the country,” Indonesia’s Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said during a recent hearing at the House of Representatives in Jakarta.
He said Indonesia is intensifying efforts to deal with the increasing cases through national strategy and improving the health system. He further said that the country is working to ensure that within a year, one million TB patients are identified, provided appropriate treatment and the treatment success rate is targeted at 90 per cent.
Indonesia’s anti-TB strategy includes the creation of a National TB Strategic Plan 2025-2029, based on the results of the National TB Program Review conducted with support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The plan focuses on assessing progress, identifying system gaps, and identifying actions needed to strengthen the national TB response, accelerate case detection, improve treatment outcomes, and enhance community engagement.
Indonesia is also pursuing regulatory and financing reforms to help end TB. A WHO Joint Program Review recommended updating the 2021 Presidential Regulation on TB to strengthen legal authority, ensure sustainable funding, and improve coordination.
More screening, faster referrals and reducing diagnostic delays were also called for to reduce the gap between cases.
From mid-2025, Indonesia has strengthened surveillance and data systems as part of its anti-TB efforts. Health authorities are integrating the National TB Information System (SITB) into the larger ‘SATU Sehat Digital Health Platform’ to ensure more accurate and timely reporting across public and private healthcare facilities.
Better data systems are expected to help identify those patients and distribute resources more effectively.
Officials said under-reporting and underdiagnosis of the disease remain major challenges, with at least one in four TB cases previously undetected. By increasing surveillance and enhancing digital integration, the Indonesian government aims to ensure that no patient remains untreated and to prevent community transmission.
In addition to improving treatment and prevention, Indonesia is investing in innovation, especially vaccine development, Xinhua news agency reported. It is expected that a TB vaccine will be available by 2028 or 2029.
TB vaccine candidate M72/AS01E has entered phase 3 clinical trials in Indonesia. More than 2,000 people from the country are involved in these trials.
Tajandra Yoga Aditama, a health expert and chair of the honorary board of the Indonesian Society of Respirology, said the new vaccine is designed to prevent tuberculosis in adults and can replace the existing BCG vaccine, as well as act as a booster to increase its protective effect.
–IANS
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