Saturday, 24 October 2026
MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - Cadres of the Family Welfare Movement (Pemberdayaan dan Kesejahteraan Keluarga, PKK) are being encouraged to work with the North Sumatra Provincial Health Office to identify tuberculosis (TB) cases earlier. The initiative is particularly important because an estimated 74,308 people in North Sumatra have TB, while case detection remained well below the established targets as of April 2026.
Nora Violita Nasution, Head of the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division at the North Sumatra Health Office, said the tuberculosis information system had recorded 12,212 cases as of 13 April 2026. This represented only 16.4 per cent of the province's estimated TB burden. The government aims to detect 90 per cent of estimated cases within a year, with a first-quarter target of 22.5 per cent.
The treatment success rate also needs to improve. According to Nora, North Sumatra's TB treatment success rate currently stands at 79 per cent, below the target of 90 per cent. The figures highlight the need to identify more cases early, ensure patients complete their treatment and prevent transmission within families and communities.
Nora made the remarks while speaking at a 2026 seminar to strengthen the skills of PKK cadres from across North Sumatra. The event was organised by the provincial PKK leadership on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, at the Grand Mercure Medan hotel. Titiek Sugiharti, a PKK North Sumatra expert adviser, also attended, alongside cadres from all regencies and cities across the province.
At the seminar, attended by participants from 33 regencies and cities, Nora outlined the tuberculosis situation in Indonesia and North Sumatra. She said Indonesia had the world's second-highest TB burden, after India. The country has an estimated 1,090,000 cases, while the disease is responsible for approximately 125,000 deaths each year.
North Sumatra ranks fourth nationally in estimated TB cases, behind West Java, East Java and Central Java. Given the scale of the problem, cross-sector cooperation is essential to help health services reach more people who may be infected, particularly those who have not yet been screened or received treatment.
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It most commonly affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body, including the bones, lymph nodes, skin and brain. Pulmonary TB can spread through the air when an infected person releases bacteria-containing particles, for example by coughing.
Early case detection is essential to breaking chains of transmission. Members of the public should recognise possible TB symptoms and seek medical attention promptly if they develop. Health professionals must also identify close contacts of people diagnosed with TB so that potential infections can be detected and managed at an early stage.
Nora stressed that PKK cadres' involvement would help extend these efforts into households and neighbourhoods.
"TB is a programme under the Indonesian President's PHTC initiative, as well as the Governor and Deputy Governor of North Sumatra's PSD programme. We therefore need the support of PKK cadres to find people with tuberculosis," she said.
According to Nora, PKK cadres can support health professionals by helping identify suspected cases, collect relevant information and trace people who have been in close contact with TB patients. Priority should be given to family members living in the same household and others who have regular, close contact with those diagnosed.
This work can help identify people at increased risk of infection and encourage them to undergo screening. Such efforts are particularly important because TB infection does not always cause immediate symptoms. Contact investigations also help health professionals determine what further assessment and follow-up may be required.
Cadres are also expected to help record possible symptoms, refer people suspected of having TB to healthcare facilities and accompany them during examinations when necessary. Their support is intended to reduce barriers to healthcare and help ensure that cases are identified and treated sooner.
In addition, cadres should document which contacts have been identified and report their findings to health professionals. This information enables the relevant authorities to monitor contact-tracing progress and determine appropriate follow-up measures.
Raising awareness among patients' families and wider social circles is another important responsibility. Cadres can explain the importance of medical examinations, completing prescribed treatment and taking appropriate steps to prevent transmission. Better understanding of the disease can help families support affected relatives without stigmatising or discriminating against them.
Their role does not end when a suspected case is referred. Cadres can remind patients to take their medication regularly and inform health professionals if difficulties arise during treatment.
Nora said the cadres' involvement would also include supporting screening for children, young children and adults. These efforts are intended to expand case detection and improve access to tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) for people who meet the relevant medical criteria.
TPT aims to reduce the risk of eligible individuals developing active TB. Before preventive treatment begins, health professionals must assess whether a person is suitable for it. Contact investigations therefore serve two purposes: identifying people who may already have the disease and helping prevent active TB among those at increased risk.
Nora said the North Sumatra Health Office had already implemented several initiatives involving community screening and support for patients throughout their treatment. Health professionals and supporting personnel also monitor whether patients take their medication regularly and whether they experience potential side effects.
"We have already carried out several initiatives in which people were invited for screening and patients were supported throughout their treatment. We also monitor whether patients take their medication as prescribed and watch for possible side effects," she said.
These efforts require ongoing coordination between PKK cadres, health professionals, patients and their families. Cadres can provide information and help strengthen links between communities and healthcare services. However, medical examinations, diagnoses and treatment must remain the responsibility of qualified health professionals and comply with applicable medical standards.
By improving PKK cadres' skills, the provincial government hopes to increase the number of detected TB cases in North Sumatra, enable more patients to access treatment and reduce the risk of transmission across communities. Community involvement is an important part of narrowing the gap between estimated and detected cases while helping the province meet its treatment targets. (IDNC)
REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
