Indonesia Tightens Rules on TB Prevention

Jakarta, VIVA – Tuberculosis (TB) still requires special attention from various parties, including the government and the public, due to its high case numbers.

According to data from the Global TB Report 2023, the estimated number of TB cases in Indonesia reaches 1,060,000 cases per year.

In the same year, it is estimated that globally, 10.8 million people fell ill with TB, and 1 million people died from the disease.

The government has made numerous efforts to reduce TB cases, including prevention measures that are crucial for everyone to understand and implement.

The Ministry of Health emphasized that preventive actions must especially be taken for people at high risk of TB exposure.

"In principle, we prioritize promotive and preventive measures, preventing high-risk individuals from contracting TB. These include household contacts and individuals with certain conditions such as HIV, diabetes mellitus, or malnutrition," said Director of Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ina Agustina Isturini, MKM on Tuesday (Jan 21).

Dr. Ina Agustina stressed that anyone who has had direct contact with a TB patient should immediately consult a doctor to ensure that no active Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria are present in their body. Furthermore, such individuals should take preventive TB medication.

"They need to be examined to confirm there is no active TB. If no active TB is found, they can take preventive medication to ensure the disease doesn’t become active," she explained.

A new policy from the Ministry of Health mandates that individuals living in the same household as a TB patient, even if their test results are negative, must still take TB preventive therapy (TPT) regularly.

"Specifically for household contacts, there’s a new policy. As long as they test negative, they must still take TB Preventive Therapy or TPT," she added.

Currently, the government is also conducting research on TB vaccines, which are expected to help reduce the rising number of TB cases.

"There’s also ongoing research on vaccines for prevention, training programs, and the integration of active case detection with the provision of TB preventive therapy, especially for household contacts," she concluded.

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8 Mei 2025