Indonesia expands TB screening with 5,600 new diagnostic tools

Sumedang, West Java (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Health Ministry is expanding tuberculosis (TB) screening at community health centers by distributing thousands of diagnostic tools and rolling out portable X-ray services to improve early detection in underserved areas.

Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus announced Thursday that the government is preparing 5,600 Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) devices to accelerate diagnoses.

"For TB diagnosis, we will distribute this tool (NAAT) to all health centers," Octavianus said in Sumedang, noting that distribution will cover Java in November before expanding nationwide in December.

The ministry will also procure over 1,000 standard X-ray units and deploy rechargeable, 3-kilogram portable X-ray devices capable of operating in off-grid locations.

"Next year, all community health centers in Indonesia are targeted to get mobile X-rays," he remarked, adding that the government will fund radiographer training and patient transport support in 2027.

Alongside medical upgrades, the government is renovating 10,000 low-income homes in high-burden areas to address living conditions and curb disease transmission.

Translator: Ilham Nugraha, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2026