Indonesia Now Second-Highest in Global Tuberculosis Cases, with 134,000 Annual Deaths

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tuberculosis (TB) remains a pressing public health issue in Indonesia that requires urgent government attention. According to the World Health Organization's Global Tuberculosis Report 2024, Indonesia ranks second after India in the number of TB cases worldwide.

The report shows that Indonesia recorded 1.06 million TB cases, with 134,000 deaths annually. In response, Indonesia's Ministry of Health officially launched the TB Alert Village program on May 9, 2025, to strengthen grassroots-level participation in achieving the national goal of eliminating TB by 2030.

As reported by Antara on June 7, 2025, the initiative has started in eight pilot villages located in East Jakarta, Medan, Tangerang, Bekasi, Bogor, Karawang, Cianjur, and Brebes.

The TB Alert Village program serves several vital functions. It aims to raise public awareness about TB, including its dangers and modes of transmission. It also facilitates quicker access to medical assistance for patients and their close contacts.

In addition, the program helps monitor treatment progress to ensure patients adhere to and complete their medication. Community health workers are also responsible for contact tracing through social and local engagement, working closely with health centers to curb the spread of the disease.

The program is designed to benefit communities by not only preventing transmission and improving access to care but also by eliminating the stigma surrounding TB. This is crucial to ensure patients feel safe and supported throughout their recovery.

Data from the Ministry of Health indicates a steady increase in TB treatment coverage: from 635,840 cases in 2022 to 722,863 in 2023. The number is expected to reach 802,228 in 2024 and is targeted to rise to 931,950 in 2025.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin noted that identifying TB patients is only part of the challenge. The greater task is ensuring they recover completely. This is where the TB Alert Village health cadres play a crucial role.

Quoting the Ministry of Health’s official website, TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, with more than one million deaths annually. "In Indonesia alone, an estimated one million people are newly infected every year, and 125,000 of them die. This means one Indonesian citizen dies of TB every four minutes," Budi said.

To address this, the minister outlined three key strategies. First is the identification of all undetected TB cases in the community. "This year our target is to find one million TB cases. Currently, we have found 800,000. Cadres need to help find the rest," he said.

Second is immediate treatment upon diagnosis. "Don't postpone. Don't refer them to hospitals, give them medication directly. This is important so that they do not transmit the disease to others," Budi emphasized.

The third strategy involves strict treatment monitoring. TB medication takes months to complete, and interruptions can lead to drug resistance. "If it becomes resistant, the treatment becomes more difficult and expensive," he added.

Although treatment is available and provided free of charge, Budi acknowledged that stigma remains a significant barrier. Many patients are hesitant to seek help due to fear of discrimination or shame.

TB Alert Village health workers are also tasked with addressing this social stigma, ensuring patients are supported and able to complete their treatment with dignity.

Deputy Minister for Villages and Underdeveloped Regions, Ahmad Riza Patria, added that the Ministry of Villages has allocated between Rp400 million to Rp1 billion in village funds.

These funds can be used to address key health issues, including TB and stunting. He encouraged local governments without such programs to propose budget allocations for similar initiatives.

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