…many TB patients come from families that are vulnerable to poverty, poor, and vulnerable to extreme poverty. Thus, they need to receive special attention in terms of treatment and the economy with social protection schemes.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy has highlighted the importance of financial protection for people infected with tuberculosis (TB).

"In addition to ensuring access to health services, cost mitigation policies and additional financial protection must also be provided to protect poor people and people who are vulnerable to poverty who are affected by TB," he said.

He delivered the statement at a coordination meeting on tuberculosis handling held by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Jakarta on Monday.

Effendy said that TB has a multidimensional impact, not only on health but also on the psychological, social, and economic aspects.

To this end, collaboration within the government is needed, starting from examination or screening to tracing or tracking people with TB for treatment interventions.

"To achieve successful treatment, it requires complementary treatment support, including nutrition and cost of transportation to health facilities, psychosocial support, and economic empowerment," he expounded.

To identify TB problems among poor people or those who are vulnerable to poverty, he added, making efforts to realize protection for those groups is essential.

Therefore, the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture is collaborating with the Ministry of Health to match the Targeting for the Acceleration of Extreme Poverty Elimination (P3KE) data with Tuberculosis Information System (SITB) data.

"Based on the data, many TB patients come from families that are vulnerable to poverty, poor, and vulnerable to extreme poverty. Thus, they need to receive special attention in terms of treatment and the economy with social protection schemes," he explained.

He also emphasized the importance of a high-level commitment to TB handling acceleration to achieve the goal of eliminating TB by 2030.

"The role of regional heads is very important to ensure the implementation of the nine regional government responsibilities in handling TB, per the mandate of Presidential Regulation Number 67 of 2021," he said.

Under the regulation, the government is aiming to reduce TB incidence to 65 cases per 100,000 population, and the death rate to six people per 100,000 population.

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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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