Jakarta Targets 267 TB Alert Villages

In addition, 14 percent of patients discontinue treatment. However, tuberculosis treatment must be completed within a certain timeframe and is free of charge.

Acting DKI Governor Heru Budi Hartono launched the TBC Alert Village program on Wednesday (8/5/2024). This program is also part of commemorating World TB Day which falls on March 24. On that occasion, all staff were asked to create a TB Alert Village and realize a TB-free Jakarta by 2030.

"TB is a disease that resembles a submarine. TB is silent, doesn't make noise, but its transmission continues to advance. Local government officials must consistently work to reduce TB," said Heru.

Efforts towards a tuberculosis-free community are also included in the priority program of the Jakarta Provincial Government. One of them is through allocation of 5 percent of the budget for every sub-district in the Special Region of Jakarta Local Regulation.

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Heru stated that this 5 percent budget can be used for programs to eradicate TB. In the future, health centers throughout Jakarta can also provide TB treatment for residents who do not have Jakarta ID cards.

"This service for residents who don't have ID cards but live in Jakarta also includes data collection as an effort to suppress the spread of TB," he said.

Currently, the incidence of tuberculosis in Jakarta is still high, at 535 per 100,000 people. The national target for tuberculosis elimination is set at 65 per 100,000 people.

In addition to establishing a Tuberculosis Alert Village, the Jakarta Health Department is also innovating to accelerate tuberculosis mitigation efforts. This includes basic health services related to TB, empowering residents through the development of Community-Based Health Efforts (UKBM), and massive health promotion in every established TB Alert Village.

After its formation, in October, there will be an appreciation given to the top five Tuberculosis-Free Villages. The assessment covers policy availability, infrastructure, efforts in case finding and guidance, health promotion and community empowerment aspects, innovations implemented, as well as the achievement of tuberculosis control program indicators.

The Head of the Health Agency of DKI Jakarta Province, Ani Ruspitawati, stated that from these efforts, it is hoped that there will be greater awareness of the issue of TB in Indonesia and Jakarta, resulting in a decrease in the incidence of TB.

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Currently, the incidence of tuberculosis in Jakarta is still high, at 535 per 100,000 people. The national target for tuberculosis elimination is set at 65 per 100,000 people.

"Jakarta needs to decrease the incidence of TB from 60,420 cases in 2023 to 6,901 cases in 2030, which is one-eighth of the current condition," said Ani.