One of the main causes of death due to infectious diseases in Indonesia is none other than Tuberculosis (TB). This disease claims 120,000 lives every year or 2 people every 5 minutes, according to a statement from the Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin. In other words, by the time this article is finished reading, it is likely that another life will have been lost due to this disease which can actually be cured.
Quoting the Global TB Report 2025 released by WHO, Indonesia is in second place with a contribution of 10% of the world's TB cases. It could be said that out of 10 people affected by TB throughout the world, one of them is an Indonesian citizen. When TB cases fell slightly in 2024 after the world was free from COVID-19, WHO actually named Indonesia along with the Philippines and Myanmar as countries that consistently contributed to the increase in global cases in that period.
Iceberg Phenomenon Concerns
The recent success in finding TB cases in a number of areas is actually good news. Increasingly intensive screening is very helpful in mapping the distribution of cases as well as speeding up diagnosed patients to start treatment. However, on the other hand, this achievement actually raises concerns. It is possible that the cases that have surfaced are just the surface, while much larger parts are still hidden like an iceberg phenomenon.
This concern is not unfounded. WHO has calculated the global gap between the number of people estimated to be sick with TB and the number actually diagnosed and recorded by the health systems of their respective countries. In 2024, for example, globally this gap will reach 2.4 million people. And ironically, Indonesia is the country with the largest difference between the number of people estimated to be sick with TB and those reported in the system.
This gap occurs because of two things. First, underdiagnosed or patients who have never been detected at all by health services. Second, underreporting or the patient has been diagnosed but the data is not officially recorded. The same pattern also occurs in cases of Drug-Resistant TB (RO). Indonesia accounts for 7.3% of the global treatment gap, after India (33%) and the Philippines (9.3%).
Even so, there is news that can make Indonesian citizens breathe a sigh of relief. In the 2023 national TB inventory study, it was stated that there was a significant reduction in the level of underreporting compared to the first study in 2017. As a result, the results of the estimated cases in the country were consistent with the WHO calculation model. This study is a sign that the TB detection and reporting system in Indonesia has improved.
TB Vaccination Plan 2029
In the midst of these worries, there is one hope that can maintain long-term optimism. Minister of Health Budi revealed plans for TB vaccine production in 2028 and mass vaccination in 2029.
Indonesia itself is currently one of the 7 countries in the world trusted to carry out clinical trials of the M72 vaccine developed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. So far, clinical trials have been running at 5 research centers and according to the Minister of Health the results are positive. He also hopes that M72 will be as successful as treating other infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and chicken pox.
While waiting for a vaccine, improvements in terms of case detection and treatment also continue, even though we both know that the national TB control budget will decline from IDR 2.4 trillion in 2025 to IDR 2.01 trillion in 2026 or a decrease of around 16.12%.
Reference:
- Global Tuberculosis Report 2025
- https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2026/08/13/22034061/kemenkes-targetkan-vaksinasi-tbc-dimulai-beranggaran-pada-2029
- Book II Financial Notes and RAPBN 2026 & 2025
