JP/04/HEALTH

JP/04/HEALTH

Indonesia needs to allocate more funds to fight tuberculosis

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia, which ranks as the third highest tuberculosis
burdened country in the world after India and China, must be more
persistent in fighting tuberculosis (TB) to meet its own target
of detecting 60 percent of TB cases this year and to achieve the
global target of detecting 70 percent next year.

Indonesia registers almost 400 TB-related deaths daily, or
140,000 annually, and about a quarter million of its citizens
could be infected by TB each year.

The disease kills about 8,000 people a day or two to three
million people each year around the world.

Tuberculosis is a contagious disease that attacks the lungs
and is caused by the bacilli Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO)
jointly announced on Wednesday the results of studies carried out
in 11 provinces by international experts, on the National
Tuberculosis Program (NTP).

The results of the study show that Indonesia has made rapid
progress in TB control by successfully detecting 52 percent of TB
cases and curing 85 percent of TB cases last year. The number
constitutes a significant increase from the 38 percent detection
rate and 72 percent cure rate, reached in 2003.

"This is a very positive story. Indonesia has done very well
in the last few years. Despite all the political problems the
country has had, it has done remarkably well," said Georg
Peterson, WHO country representative for Indonesia.

However, the country's progress in fighting TB is still far
from that achieved by India and China.

According to the director of the Stop TB Department at the
WHO, Mario Raviglione, of the three major countries that have
dealt with TB, India was estimated to have 1.8 million cases
every year; China, 1.5 million cases; and Indonesia an estimated
500,000 every year.

"India has made the most rapidly expanding program in the
world by providing treatment almost everywhere in the country. By
the end of this year, its government has pledged to achieve the
global target of 70 percent case detection and 85 percent cured
patients.

"In China, there was a request by the central health ministry
to really devout all possible efforts to achieve the global
target. China is pledging to achieve the target by the end of
this year," he said.

Mario added that at the moment, China's case detection rate is
about 40 percent and their cure rate is above 90 percent -- the
best in the world along with Vietnam.

The joint WHO and Ministry of Health monitoring team predicted
that the global target might be reached by Indonesia next year as
the country had a delay in fully implementing the "Stop TB
program" due to rapid changes in the health ministry's
administration and the insufficient budget caused by the late
1990s financial crisis.

A document obtained from the ministry says that of the US$38.5
million budget required to finance the program, the government
contributed US$21.8 million, with the remainder coming from
grants and international funding.

"Last year about Rp 45 billion ($4.89 million) was spent on
medicine and the amount will be increased this year," Rosmini
Day, acting director of direct transmitted disease control at the
Ministry of Health said, referring to the free medicine for TB
patients that is provided by the government.

In its report, the monitoring team suggested that local
administrations consider funding essential operational activities
to ensure the sustainability of the program. (006)