1,464 TB Cases Recorded in Indonesian Prisons, Minister Blames Overcrowding
Minister of Immigration and Corrections Agus Andrianto has highlighted the trend of tuberculosis (TBC) among inmates in prisons and detention centres, with a total of 1,464 cases currently recorded. He made the statement after kicking off a nationwide TB screening programme for inmates in collaboration with the Ministry of Health at Nusakambangan Prison, Cilacap, Central Java, on Monday (29/6/2026). Agus noted that TB is one of the leading causes of death from infectious diseases in Indonesia.
“Based on the Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 published by the WHO, Indonesia ranks second with the highest number of TB sufferers after India. This fact is very concerning. TB cases in Indonesia accounted for up to 10 per cent of the total estimated global cases in 2024,” Agus said. He explained that Indonesia falls into the highly endemic category, with an estimated range of 300-499 cases per 100,000 population. Within prisons and detention centres, data shows there were 7,972 active TB cases in 2025, representing a prevalence rate of 3.64 per cent among the 218,962 inmates at that time.
The latest data as of March 2026 records a TB prevalence of 0.54 per cent, with 1,464 cases found among a total of 271,994 inmates in prisons and detention centres across Indonesia. Agus stated that this figure shows a downward trend. “This trend is indeed declining, but this is still first-quarter data. Hopefully, it will continue to decrease, especially with the handling we are doing now,” he said. Agus identified overcrowding in detention centres as one of the main culprits behind the high number of detainees contracting TB. “This high prevalence rate occurs partly because the situation in Indonesian prisons and detention centres is currently over capacity. We all realise that TB is an airborne disease. Hopefully, there will be a second amnesty from the President later,” Agus explained.
As a preventive measure, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections and the Ministry of Health launched a free health screening programme for early detection of various diseases and the elimination of TB. Agus thanked Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin for supporting healthcare services for inmates, including the provision of patient monitors, electrocardiograph machines, electronic infusion pumps, and other medical equipment. On the same occasion, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated that this programme is a fast-track initiative from President Prabowo Subianto. He noted that 1 million people contract TB in Indonesia each year. “Specifically for TB, this is a fast-track programme from the President. Why? Because every year in Indonesia, 1 million people get TB. The prison population increases by 2,000 monthly, so 24,000 annually. Out of the 1 million TB cases in Indonesia each year, 126,000 die,” he explained.
Budi explained the government’s rationale for conducting TB screening among inmates, citing the high potential for transmission within prisons. “The reason we are kicking off TB screening in prisons is that the rate is indeed higher here. Because the population is static, they sleep close together, and most activities are indoors, so transmission is high. And this sometimes escapes screening by the District Health Office and the Ministry of Health, leading to it infecting an entire prison,” he said.