North Jakarta intensifies tuberculosis prevention education down to community level

The North Jakarta City Government is intensifying tuberculosis (TBC) prevention education down to the sub-district level, including in Rawa Badak Selatan, through socialisation involving community leaders and health cadres to increase public awareness and eliminate the stigma surrounding the disease.

“We routinely conduct socialisation involving cadres and the community to prevent the spread of TBC,” said Rawa Badak Selatan Sub-district Head Sutarto on Thursday.

He noted that according to data from the local community health centre (Puskesmas), 29 residents in Rawa Badak Selatan are currently undergoing treatment for TBC. “Rawa Badak Selatan has around 37,000 residents living across 11 community units (RW) and 119 neighbourhood units (RT), so massive dissemination of information about this disease is necessary,” he said.

He stated that this situation necessitates educational measures about TBC to be carried out right down to the grassroots level. His office is also working to identify affected residents so that treatment can be administered until they are cured.

He acknowledged that a key obstacle is the persistent negative stigma surrounding TBC within the community. He said this is what they are trying to prevent by educating residents that the disease is neither hereditary nor a curse, but a curable condition.

“If any residents are aware of this condition, they should report it immediately so they can receive the best possible treatment,” he said.

His office is involving community leaders and health cadres to provide information and education about the disease. Identifying residents with TBC cannot be done alone, he added, but requires the involvement of multiple parties to ensure the area becomes free from the disease. “This is also an effort to suppress the number of TBC cases and ensure that no one else dies from TBC,” he said.