According to PPTI (Perkumpulan Pemberantasan Tuberculosis Indonesia or Indonesian Tuberculosis Control Association), an Indonesian organisation dedicated to combating the disease, Indonesia has the second-highest TB cases globally, behind India.
Every year, Indonesia reports 969,000 new tuberculosis cases. This indicates that one individual acquires TB every 33 seconds. One hundred forty-four thousand people die from the disease each year.
“Tuberculosis prevention and eradication are essential. PPTI calls on everyone to eradicate this contagious disease and remove the stigma that TBC is an incurable disease,” the local news on Saturday cited PPTI chairperson Raisis Arifin Panigoro on the 27th of May 2023.
Tuberculosis primarily affects working-age people, according to the 2022 Global TB Report.
In response, PPTI, commemorating its 55th birthday, held a webinar on tackling tuberculosis in the workplace. Additionally, Amerta Indah Otsuka, a beverage firm, and South Jakarta’s municipal health department joined up with JRC Clinic-PPTI to provide treatment for employees who have been found to have tuberculosis.
A photo and creative video contest with the theme “Let’s End TBC (tuberculosis) Together” was also held by PPTI. The competition had over 280 contestants, and the judges were Lily S. Sulistyowati of PPTI, Arbain Rambey, a senior photographer for Kompas, Tjandra Wibowo of Produksi Film Negara, Roma Sophiaan of the Medco Foundation, Rully Nasrulah of the AJV, and Tjandra Wibowo of Produksi Film Negara. IDR 10 million in cash will be given to the winner.
The Depok section of PPTI also hosted a Lenong, or conventional Betawi theatre, for kids.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) will be signed between PPTI and the Indonesian Pulmonary Doctors Association (PDPI) for the organisation’s 55th-anniversary celebration. A TBC-DM screening and local charity will also be interwoven into combating tuberculosis.
Interested in this topic? Check out our other articles from Social Expat:
