USAID PREVENT TB: Empowering Indonesia for Effective TB Prevention

Context

Indonesia has the second-highest tuberculosis (TB) burden in the world, with an estimated 1,060,000 new cases each year. The United States supports the Government of Indonesia (GOI)’s efforts to reduce this burden by slowing the rate of infection among vulnerable groups.

A necessary tool to reduce TB cases and end the TB epidemic is the use of TB Preventive Treatment (TPT), which is a course of treatment for people who have been exposed to TB bacteria and are at higher risk than the general population of developing disease. High-risk groups include people with HIV/AIDS, individuals who share a household with a TB patient, immuno-compromised patients, and healthcare workers. However, progress toward the GOI’s priority of increasing TPT delivery to the most vulnerable individuals has been slow—which is a lost opportunity to protect people from becoming ill with TB.

USAID Health Communication Campaign for TB Preventive Treatment in Indonesia (USAID PREVENT TB)

USAID PREVENT TB aims to enhance community awareness in populations at a higher risk of TB using a Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) strategy. Additionally, it seeks to reduce the transmission of TB by increasing enrollment in Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT). This initiative aligns with Indonesia's objective of eliminating TB by 2030.

USAID PREVENT TB will assist the GOI to implement an adaptable and sustainable SBCC approach by:

Supporting the GOI to develop a TPT communication strategy to support its plan to accelerate the adoption of TPT by 2030;
Increasing awareness and understanding of TPT among healthcare providers and community health workers;
Inspiring the adoption of TPT by disseminating educational materials to vulnerable groups;
Promoting TPT delivery through advocacy and policy support; and
Providing evidence-based SBCC interventions through regular data collection and analysis, enabling informed adjustments and improvements to communication strategies.

USAID PREVENT TB works in four provinces: Banten, DKI Jakarta, West Java, and East Java.

Anticipated Results

USAID PREVENT TB aims to:

Improve awareness and demand for TPT among health providers and vulnerable groups, such as people with HIV/AIDS, individuals who share a household with a TB patient, immunocompromised patients, and healthcare workers; and
Improve the rate of TPT coverage among people in vulnerable groups.