According to him, TB in slums, such as settlements beneath toll roads, is transmitted faster due to poor environmental sanitation.
"With relocation, they will have better sanitation and will be less susceptible to the possibility of contracting TB," he explained on Monday.
Harbuwono said that the government's quick-win program to eradicate TB involves environmental sanitation.
"Efforts to deal with TB involve several points, not only treatment and diagnosis, but also environmental sanitation issues," he added.
Therefore, his party supports the relocation program, especially to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as TB.
He informed that so far, around 700 residents of the Angke Toll Road underpass have been relocated to flats in Jakarta.
"This sanitation job has been assisted by the Mayor of West Jakarta. The Mayor has moved around 700 people from the Angke Toll Bridge underpass to flats," he informed.
Related news: Government handles TB spread through name-, address-based surveillance
The West Jakarta city government has confirmed that 257 families, comprising 685 persons, living under Angke Toll Road have been relocated from the area.
Of the 257 families, 139 families with Jakarta resident identity cards have been relocated to Daan Mogot Flats, Rawabuaya Flats, Tegal Alur Flats, and PIK Pulogadung Flats.
Meanwhile, 98 families holding identity cards from other areas have been provided Rp1.5 million (US$90) per family as two months' rent.
Another 20 families without a Family Registration Number or identity card are in the process of registering their identity and relocating to flats.
The number of TB cases in Indonesia has reached 1.060 million, with the death toll from the disease reaching 130 thousand. Meanwhile, Jakarta has 30 thousand TB patients.
Harbuwono said that as per calculations, the death toll from TB is higher than the number of deaths due to COVID-19.
Related news: Indonesia pushes TB vaccine, aims for elimination by 2030
Translator: Redemptus Elyonai, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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