JAKARTA – U.S. Ambassador Scot Marciel honored the Minister of Health Nafsiah Mboi at a ceremony in Jakarta for the achievements made in the global fight against Tuberculosis (TB), which kills 65,000 Indonesians each year and 1.7 million people worldwide. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and international partners also presented Indonesia with an achievement award in Washington, D.C. on World TB Day that was accepted by Indonesia Ambassador to the U.S. Dino Patti Djalal on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

“Thanks to bold leadership, progress in the fight against TB has accelerated over the past few years,” said Ambassador Marciel. “The United States is proud to partner with Indonesia to prevent new infections and save lives. Together, we’re working to harness the power of scientific advances, accurate diagnostic tools, and world-class medical standards to stop and treat TB.” 

“Indonesia has made significant contributions to achieving global TB reduction targets. We consistently achieve over 90 percent of TB treatment success rate and over 70 percent of new TB cases are being detected,” said Minister of Health Mboi. "With the introduction of new diagnostic technologies, we have significantly increased access to diagnosis for Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB).”

Under the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership, fighting TB is one of the key health priorities. U.S.-supported TB programs work in partnership with Indonesia’s National Tuberculosis Program to help implement the National TB strategy. USAID programs totaling $13 million annually support the efforts of the Government of Indonesia and health care providers to increase TB case detection, ensure completion of treatment for each patient, and improve the overall quality of care. Last year, the Ministry of Health, with support from USAID, introduced the GeneXpert technology in Indonesia, which diagnosis MDR-TB in hours instead of months. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, an international financing institution with the largest bilateral contribution from the U.S., provides significant grants to the National TB Program. The Global Fund also works with USAID and the National TB Program to refurbish and upgrade laboratories in provinces across Indonesia to help medical staff diagnose TB and MDR-TB.