"National tuberculosis elimination needs joint action that involves many sectors in an integrated manner," the ministry's Deputy for Coordination of Health Quality Improvement and Population Development, Agus Suprapto, stated when contacted on Sunday.
According to Suprapto, the multisector action aligns with Presidential Regulation Number 67 of 2021, article 17, paragraph 1, letter a, on increasing the participation of communities, stakeholders, and other sectors in TB control through partnerships.
Suprapto noted that the Tuberculosis Control Partnership Forum (WKPTB) had been formed and set through the Regulation of the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Number 40 of 2021 on November 4, 2021.
"WKPTB is a forum for stakeholders at the central level to synergize, synchronize, and collaborate, so that they can move jointly in encouraging partnerships in Indonesia," he affirmed.
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He assessed that cross sectoral coordination is one of the primary keys to supporting efforts to control tuberculosis, considering that the disease covers various aspects or social dimensions.
"The various dimensions include nutritional status, living conditions, and (air) circulation in the house, residential conditions, literacy or knowledge about tuberculosis," he remarked.
He added that the ministry is emphasizing the importance of tuberculosis elimination, as the contagious disease can result in a decrease in the quality of human resources.
Suprapto said tuberculosis is a chronic disease that is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection that can attack the lungs and other organs, such as bones, skin, and brain.
"Tuberculosis can infect people of all ages; the highest number of infection cases is among people of the productive age, so it can have an impact on reducing the quality of human resources," he explained.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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