Dock. Ministry of Health
JAKARTA – Tuberculosis (TB) in Indonesia ranks third after India and China with 824 thousand cases and 93,000 deaths per year, equivalent to 11 deaths per hour.
To find and treat these cases, the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) plans to conduct a large-scale screening to be carried out this year.
The Director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control (P2PM) of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, Dr. drh. Didik Budijanto, M.Kes said that of the estimated 824 thousand TB patients in Indonesia, only 49% were found and treated, so there are as many as 500 thousand people who have not been treated and are at risk of becoming a source of transmission.
“Therefore, efforts to find cases as early as possible, complete treatment until recovery is one of the most important efforts in deciding the transmission of TB in the community,” he said at a virtual press conference in Jakarta, Tuesday (22/3).
Didik continued that his party will screen TB for 500 thousand cases that have not been found.
Screening is carried out with X-Ray Artificial Intelligence equipment to provide faster and more efficient TB diagnosis results.
“We are planning a transformational massive screening by utilizing X-Ray Artificial Intelligence equipment to provide faster and more efficient TB diagnosis results, including bi-directional testing for diabetics so that they get TB treatment as early as possible,” he said.
At present, efforts are being made to procure the necessary tools. It is planned that a large-scale screening will be carried out this year.
”The implementation is prioritized this year because the process is still running. With the discovery of 500 thousand cases, we will accelerate the elimination of TB in 2030,” said Didik.
As many as 91% of TB cases in Indonesia are pulmonary TB which have the potential to infect healthy people around them.
Currently, case finding and high TB treatment have been carried out in several areas including Banten, Gorontalo, DKI Jakarta, North Sulawesi, and West Sulawesi.
Meanwhile, the areas with the most TB cases are concentrated in Java, such as DKI Jakarta, West Java, East Java, and Central Java.
”Actually, TB is usually found in crowded areas, slum areas, and areas where PHBS (Clean and Healthy Living Behavior) is lacking, where the potential for TB transmission is high,” said Didik.
It is important to know that the initial symptoms of TB in a person can be in the form of coughing because it attacks the respiratory tract and respiratory organs, coughing with phlegm continuously for 2 to 3 weeks or more, then shortness of breath, chest pain, weakness and feeling unwell. weight loss, decreased appetite, weight loss, and usually what appears is sweating at night even though you are not doing any activities.
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