Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia is stepping up its efforts to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) through free health screening programs and innovation, Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus stated here on Tuesday.With more than one million people falling ill with the disease every year, Indonesia has the second-highest TB burden in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).Therefore, the government is encouraging rapid action through massive early detection, including the free screening program, which targets reaching 130 million people by 2026.Hope for TB elimination also relies on innovation, with more than 100 diagnostic tools, 29 TB drugs, and 18 vaccine candidates currently under development.”Tuberculosis remains a major challenge. It is not only a health issue but also related to social, economic, nutritional, and environmental factors,” Benjamin remarked.In Indonesia, every minute, two people are infected with TB — and every four minutes, one person dies.Therefore, the government is carrying out supporting strategies, including close contact tracing, providing TB preventive therapy, as well as strengthening the role of the community and health workers.”There is no time to delay. Every case found and treated is a life-saving step,” he emphasized.WHO Indonesia Representative Setiawan Jati Laksono echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for continued stronger global support.He stated that Indonesia accounts for approximately 10 percent of global TB cases.Data shows that by 2024, the country recorded 118,000 TB deaths in people without HIV and 8,100 deaths in people living with HIV.”TB remains a global threat. There is progress, but it is not fast enough. Political commitment and national funding are crucial,” Laksono noted.WHO also highlighted major challenges in TB elimination, such as undiagnosed cases, drug-resistant TB, as well as risk factors such as malnutrition, diabetes, and smoking.The Indonesian Health Ministry has stated earlier that it was establishing cross-agency collaboration to strengthen TB prevention, including cooperation with the Housing and Settlements Ministry to improve housing quality, such as ensuring good ventilation to reduce the risk of TB germ spread.Collaboration is also carried out to provide nutritional food for the community, to help boost their immune system to be ready in fighting TB infections.