Indonesia is stepping up its fight against tuberculosis amid concerns about economic growth

Indonesia, concerned that tuberculosis could affect economic growth, plans to start clinical trials of several vaccines this year to combat the soaring number of cases of the infectious disease.

Indonesia has seen a surge in TB cases over the past few years, with the Health ministry estimating there will be more than 1 million confirmed cases in 2023 and about 820,000 in 2020.

In 2022, about 134,000 people died of TB in Indonesia, the second highest number in the world after India.

Three quarters of TB patients in Indonesia are in the productive age group, while 45 per cent of all age groups are not working, co-ordinating Minister of Human Development and Culture Muhajir told a meeting of the provincial leadership on Monday (June 10), raising concerns that the spread of TB is hurting the country's economy.

Muhajir did not provide an estimate of the impact of TB cases on economic growth.

Indonesia plans to start a clinical trial of a tuberculosis vaccine developed by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline in July with 2,500 participants, Health Minister Budi said at the same conference. The vaccine was developed with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Indonesia is also expected to conduct clinical trials this year on a vaccine made by Chinese pharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics, Mr. Budi said.

"We want Indonesia to be one of the first countries to launch TB vaccination," Budi told participants. He revealed that the health Ministry is also conducting clinical trials on an mRNA vaccine being developed by Germany's BioNTech. BioNTech partnered with Pfizer of the United States to develop a coronavirus vaccine.

At the same meeting, Indonesian Interior Minister Dito instructed the provincial leadership to set up a task force to carry out TB testing.

Budi said Indonesia aims to reduce the TB death rate by as much as 80 percent to just six deaths per 100,000 people by 2030.