USAID to help RI in fighting TB

JAKARTA: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide US$2.5 million this year and over $7.8 million in the next five years to help the fight against tuberculosis (TB) in Indonesia, the agency said on Thursday.

The agency said it would also support a series of TB awareness activities in Jakarta, Semarang, and Yogyakarta.

"TB is a serious problem in Indonesia, causing the death of 140,000 people each year," the agency said.

Indonesia's TB rate is the third highest in the world, with 550,000 new cases are found each year in Indonesia. The disease is the third largest cause of death after heart and respiratory diseases in all age groups.

USAID provides training and technical assistance, including laboratory services, to health professionals fighting the disease in nine provinces. -- JP