Deputy Health Minister identifies dormant TB bacteria as primary issue

Bandarlampung (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus stated that the primary issue with tuberculosis (TB) in Indonesia currently is dormant bacteria or latent infections that reside in the body without causing symptoms. “Tuberculosis (TB) bacteria that are ‘asleep’ or inactive in the body (latent TB), yet still alive and capable of reactivating, pose the main problem, turning it into a time bomb,” said the Deputy Minister in Bandarlampung on Tuesday. Therefore, he continued, the current strategy involves contact investigations in the surroundings of individuals affected by TB. “If one person tests positive, all household members must be examined and given TB Preventive Therapy (TPT),” he said. He explained that eradicating TB in Indonesia is a top priority because, according to current data, the country ranks second in the world for the highest number of cases, with death tolls reaching 125,000 lives per year. “Why is TB a priority? Two years ago, the President summoned me. He was concerned to learn that 125,000 people die every year from TB in Indonesia. Currently, Indonesia holds the second position globally for the highest TB cases,” he said. Consequently, the President has tasked the Health Ministry with leading the TB eradication efforts directly in the field. However, TB cannot be resolved by the health sector alone. “To resolve TB cases, we need cross-sectoral collaboration, with the Ministry of Home Affairs mobilising regions, and other ministries involved. Of course, we cannot just treat without improving the environmental conditions and patients’ homes,” he said. He noted that Lampung is among the 11 priority provinces due to its high TB cases. However, the performance of cadres in this province deserves appreciation. “I appreciate the work of the cadres in Lampung; our case notifications have increased from 50 percent to 80 percent. Our target this year is above 90 percent,” he said. “The President aims to eliminate TB in three years. We see that Bandarlampung demonstrates the most complete readiness, particularly in mastering technical data and empowering cadres,” he added. According to him, the Bandarlampung City Government has a good grasp of TB data, and with the potential of 10,000 existing health cadres, it is hoped that the transmission chain in this city can be broken. “Do not fear disclosing data. If there are 4,000 cases, then 20,000 people around them must be proactively examined. We must not just wait at community health centres, as per Law No. 23 of 2014, health is a mandatory basic service,” he said.