Number of TB-infected people expected to swell
JAKARTA (JP): The official number of 40,000 tuberculosis- infected Jakartans is expected to rise sharply due to a hike in medication costs combined with an absence of community awareness to combat the disease, an expert has said.
Hadiarto Mangunnegoro, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Association of Tuberculosis Eradication, urged the city administration on Friday to promote its free tuberculosis (TB) medical treatment. He suggested that a massive public campaign could be sponsored by organizations such as the World Health Organization.
"I think most people in the capital still lack information about the (free treatment) scheme," he said after meeting Governor Sutiyoso at City Hall to discuss the association's commemorative activities for World Tuberculosis Day on March 27.
According to Hadiarto, the price of medication for TB sufferers has doubled, and in some cases, even tripled. The prohibitive cost of treatment has reduced the likelihood of managing the disease.
Embarrassment -- due to their status as TB sufferers -- also prevented many from seeking medical treatment, he said.
"Last year alone, only 2,000 to 3,000 people applied for free medicine at city-owned clinics," Hadiarto said.
He emphasized that "only a portion" of the 40,000 TB sufferers could be categorized as noninfectious carriers.
"If they are not properly treated for a long time, it's possible that these sufferers could also be dangerous to other people as they can spread the disease easily," Hadiarto said.
According to the head of the Ministry of Health's Jakarta office, Deddy Ruswendi, TB-prone areas in the capital are concentrated around the city's slums, including Tanah Tinggi in Central Jakarta, Penjaringan and Pademangan in North Jakarta, Kembangan in West Jakarta, Pondok Pinang in South Jakarta and Kebon Pala in East Jakarta.
"These areas have been overcrowded with housing units that have absolutely no adequate ventilation or floors," he said, referring to the houses built directly on the ground.
Deddy said that most TB-infected people were reluctant to undergo the six-month treatment required to fight the disease.
"Usually, after one month of taking the pills, the cough disappear. At this point many of them assume they are well and stop taking their medicine," he said.
"Once the symptoms reappear, resuming medication is useless because the body develops immunity to the pills," he explained.
Nationally, it is estimated that there are 600,000 TB sufferers.
"Some 175,000 of that number are dying," Deddy said.
He said that the disease was extremely contagious; a TB carrier could easily transmit it to at least 10 people, simply by talking with or coughing around them. (ind/ylt)