Joint Efforts Urged in anti-TB Campaign

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Residents of the Cirebon Narcotics Penitentiary, West Java, show sputum samples for tuberculosis examination, Thursday (12/3/2020).

Accessible treatment services and supports from all stakeholders will speed up the recovery of tuberculosis (TB) patients. That will help the realization of Indonesia\'s dream of being free from TB by 2050.

“(I) do feel lethargic and tired. That’s not to mention the pain effects, from nausea, feeling numb, the face getting reddish to the skin turning dark. This endemic also worries me because I still have to go back and forth to the puskesmas (community health center) twice a week,” Yus (45) said, Wednesday (24/3/2021) in Jakarta.

Yus was diagnosed with drug-resistant tuberculosis (RO TB) in October 2020. In fact, he had contracted TB in 2015 but he stopped taking medication after feeling free from the symptoms, even though the doctor recommended he continue the treatment.

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In 2020, the symptoms, such as coughs, night sweats and weight loss, reappeared. "Upon having my sputum examined, I was diagnosed with RO TB," he said.

Yus has since been undergoing treatment with support from the community and family. A community’s facilitator once offered to fetch the medicines for him in the case he could not come to the puskesmas himself. His wife always reminds him to take medicine every day.

"Medicines are obtained free of charge. I should have no reason to be late taking the drugs, let alone stop. I want to be cured,” he said, now becoming self-compelled to be disciplined in the medication.

With many resources being diverted into handling the pandemic, global movement to end the TB endemic is faced with even bigger challenge.

In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic has been drawing TB treatment progress 12 years back. With many resources being diverted into handling the pandemic, global movement to end the TB endemic is faced with even bigger challenge.

Kompas

A man signs a form for submitting a sample of sputum on 24 March 2018 at Persahabatan Central General Hospital in East Jakarta. The hospital ran a free month-long testing service for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) from 24 March to 24 April 2018 using Gene-Xpert.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the number of deaths from the disease, which is mycobacterium tuberculosis, increased from 1.4 million cases in 2018 to 1.8 million in 2020, due to the late exposure of new cases as well as an increase in the medication dropout rate.

Following a TB treatment is not an easy journey for some. Patients are required to take the drug every day for wholly six months. In cases of RO TB, patients have to take the drug every day for up to two years. They also have to take daily injections in the first few months of treatment.

Nikson Yapdana, a TB patient in East Sentani District, Jayapura Regency, Papua, said that he relatively had no problem accessing the medicine during the pandemic, apart from transportation problem to the puskesmas.

KOMPAS/FABIO MARIA LOPES COSTA

Providing special drugs for patients suffering from drug-resistant tuberculosis at the Kampung Harapan Community Health Center, East Sentani District, Jayapura Regency, Papua, Wednesday (18/3/2020).

Hanover Budianto, head of Kampung Harapan puskesmas, in response, has eased the transportation cost constraint by administering medication once a month.Video monitoring

In his speech to mark the World Tuberculosis Day, Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin urged public support for TB patients.

"All parties must work together so that the handling of tuberculosis can go effectively and efficiently," he said on Wednesday.

BPMI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN

Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin.

Nana Rahman, a volunteer with Pejuang Tangguh TB RO community organization, said the Covid-19 pandemic has prompted a joint outreach movement to help the patients.

The volunteers now do not visit the patients for assistance but hold a virtual consultation through video. This makes the role of the family for TB patients becoming more urgent.

Health services are also required to be adjusted in the best possible way to avoid the patients from the risk of contracting Covid-19.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin pointed out the importance of inclusive TB management by involving all parties and pledged to focus on the improvement of service infrastructure.

Therefore, there needs to be an alignment of efforts in dealing with the Covid-19 and TB.

TB handling has the same nature with Covid-19 in terms of surveillance and intervention, especially in the case of investigation, tracing, testing and treatment. Therefore, there needs to be an alignment of efforts in dealing with the Covid-19 and TB.

Globally, TB is one of top ten types of diseases that cause death. In 2019, an estimated 10 million people were infected with the disease, with total cases in Indonesia ranking third after China and India.

Data at the Health Ministry shows TB cases in Indonesia were estimated to reach 845,000 as of March 1, 2021 with only 349,549 cases being discovered. It means that there were still 495,000 undetected carriers who are potential to infecting others. The data also discloses 8,060 were confirmed to be RO TB cases.

KOMPAS/RYAN RINALDY

Aisyiyah Regional Leadership Cadre in Surabaya, East Java, socializing the dangers of tuberculosis (TB) to residents, Sunday (19/3/2017).

The government is determined to reduce TB cases significantly by 2035 to finally become a TB-free nation by 2050. (TAN/INA FLO)

(This article was translated by Musthofid)