Topic: 2024-Tuberculosis
Country: Indonesia
Delegate Name: Sahana Patel
The Republic of Indonesia recognizes tuberculosis (TB) as a serious ongoing public health crisis that must be urgently prioritized and addressed. Indonesia is one of eight high-burden countries that collectively account for over two-thirds of the 10 million cases of active TB disease globally each year. Specifically, Indonesia has the second-highest burden of TB worldwide, with over 1,060,000 new cases reported in 2021 alone. While Indonesia has made laudable strides in recent years to improve TB diagnosis, treatment, and care, major challenges persist including underdiagnosis, treatment delays, and losses to follow-up. Sustained political commitment and significantly increased investment are required if Indonesia is to meet the Sustainable Development Goal target of ending TB by 2030.
To reduce the massive burden of TB, Indonesia believes a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach is necessary. First and foremost, Indonesia calls for substantially increased domestic and international funding for TB control programs, coupled with enhanced strategic planning to optimize resource allocation and impact. While the government has increased domestic financing, ongoing support is needed from bilateral and multilateral partners to expand access to rapid molecular diagnostics, hire and train more community health workers, and provide social protection for vulnerable TB patients. Second, Indonesia advocates for accelerated research into – and equitable global access to – new tools to fight TB, including new antibiotics, vaccines, and point-of-care tests. We call on pharmaceutical companies to ensure affordable pricing of new TB drugs and regimes. Third, Indonesia stresses that addressing the social determinants of TB is just as important as improving medical care, in order to reduce TB infection, transmission, and deaths. Concerted cross-government efforts must be made to alleviate poverty, overcrowding, undernutrition, exposure to tobacco smoke, and other risk factors that fuel the epidemic. Fourth, Indonesia underscores that tackling the complex biosocial challenge of TB requires close collaboration between all relevant ministries and stakeholders, not just the health sector.
In addition, Indonesia stands ready to share best practices and technical expertise with other high TB burden countries, while also learning lessons from nations that have made significant progress against the disease. Enhanced South-South cooperation and collective advocacy can accelerate progress. To conclude, Indonesia is fully committed to working hand-in-hand with all partners to alleviate the immense suffering caused by TB, but urgent and sustained global action is imperative to end TB.
Works Cited
“Fact Sheet: Country Profile Indonesia 2022.” TB Indonesia, https://tbindonesia.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Factsheet-Country-Profile-Indonesia-2022.pdf. Accessed 10 Feb. 2024.
Kusumawardani, Nunik, et al. “Tuberculosis Burden in Indonesia: The Urgent Need for Bold Actions.” Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, vol. 7, no. 8, 2022, p. 182., https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed7080182. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.
“Indonesia.” USAID, 13 Oct. 2022, https://www.usaid.gov/global-health/health-areas/tuberculosis/resources/news-and-updates/global-accelerator-end-tb/tb-roadmaps/indonesia. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.
World Health Organization. “Indonesia’s Commitment to Eliminate TB by 2030 Supported by the Highest Level of Government.” World Health Organization, 28 Nov. 2021, https://www.who.int/indonesia/news/detail/28-11-2021-indonesia-commitment-to-eliminate-tb-by-2030-supported-by-the-highest-level-government. Accessed 13 Feb. 2024.
Ardian, Muhammad, et al. “Tuberculosis in Indonesia: Burden, Challenges and the Way Forward.” The Lancet Global Health, vol. 10, no. 12, 2022, pp. e1751-e1760, https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00455-7. Accessed 13 Feb. 2024.
World Health Organization. Global Tuberculosis Report 2022. World Health Organization, 2022, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241598798. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.
