Local Governments Urged to Prioritise TB Control in Development Plans
Deputy Home Affairs Minister Akhmad Wiyagus has urged local governments to prioritise tuberculosis (TB) control. The move is intended to strengthen prevention and treatment efforts on a sustained basis by reinforcing TB Alert Villages and engaging different sections of the community.
Wiyagus made the remarks at the declaration of Kudus Regency’s TB Alert Village initiative at the Kudus Regency Hall in Central Java on Tuesday (13 October). He said health was a compulsory government responsibility related to basic services and therefore required serious attention from local governments.
“Local governments should certainly make this a priority in their planning documents, including the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD), the Regional Government Work Plan (RKPD) and the strategic plans of each regional government agency,” Wiyagus said in a written statement on Wednesday (14 October 2026).
In line with this, Wiyagus called for TB Alert Villages to be strengthened through collaboration between local governments and community groups. This is needed to expand outreach to close contacts of TB patients and increase coverage of Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT).
Wiyagus also called for TB Alert Village teams to be established to speed up responses in areas identified as having suspected TB cases or close contacts. He stressed the importance of sub-district heads coordinating the programme with integrated health posts (Posyandu), the Family Welfare Movement (TP PKK), academics and local community figures.
“The data must be accurate. After treatment, we need to follow up again, and we must not forget to report consistently,” Wiyagus said.
He said the involvement of various parties was essential to addressing public health challenges. The spirit of collaboration seen during the COVID-19 pandemic should be applied again to strengthen TB prevention and treatment.
Wiyagus added that regional development planning must be accompanied by stronger coordination between health offices and regional general hospitals (RSUDs). He reminded local governments, as owners and managers of regional hospitals, to ensure that health services operate effectively.
“We must not be held back by regulations that can be adjusted … because regulatory flexibility should be adapted to conditions on the ground,” Wiyagus concluded.
The event was also attended by Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus, Deputy Chair of House of Representatives Commission VIII Abdul Wachid, Kudus Regent Sam’ani Intakoris, Kudus Deputy Regent Bellinda Putri Sabrina Birton, as well as local government officials, members of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), sub-district heads, urban village heads and village heads in Kudus Regency, Central Java.