U S reaffirms commitment to help fight TB in Indonesia

Ahead of the World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24, the United States reaffirms its commitment to help Indonesia combat the deadly infectious disease that kills approximately 64,000 Indonesians each year, a press statement from the U.S. Embassy said here on Thursday. Currently, the programs of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provide the largest bilateral contribution to TB control in Indonesia. USAID programs totaling 13.5 million U.S. dollars annually support the Indonesian government and health care providers to increase TB case detection, ensure completion of treatment for each patient, and improve the overall quality of care. USAID provides technical assistance to Indonesian drug manufacturers to ensure that locally produced drugs will be able to meet World Health Organization quality standards. Each year, there are approximately 430,000 new cases of TB in Indonesia.