20 Apr Indonesia – Joint External Monitoring Mission
[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_separator type=”normal” thickness=”2″ up=”20″ down=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”3002″ img_size=”full” qode_css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1587422603756{padding-bottom: 32px !important;}”][vc_column_text]The Country & Community Support for Impact (CCS4I) team, through the Regional Advisor and the community, rights and gender (CRG) Advisor, and a representative from TB REACH, participated in the Indonesia Joint Monitoring Mission. In addition, the CCS4I team supported 2 TB survivors and community activists to participate and engage in the process.
The Joint External Monitoring Mission (JMM) was co-organized by the National TB Programme and the World Health Organization. The Mission team was made up of Indonesian experts from the Ministry of Health (MOH), its National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP), other ministries, the non-governmental sector, as well as community representatives and TB survivors. External experts came from Indonesia’s partners in the fight against TB. After briefings from the NTP and other Government of Indonesia counterparts, the participants split into four teams that visited East Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, South Sumatra, and West Java.
The CRG advisor, together with two TB survivors, led the development of the CRG chapter in the JMM report. Recommendations were informed by field observations and interviews. The recommendations for the national CRG report, that was completed in Indonesia by Spiritia, were also guided by the draft National Strategic Plan and Global Fund funding request text.
The CRG recommendations were incorporated into the JMM report and subsequently into the draft Global Fund funding request, ensuring foundations to take forward work of identifying and overcoming barriers to universal TB access in Indonesia.
The TB REACH representative conducted provincial and district field visits to assess challenges and opportunities and to make recommendation for improving TB operations and services. These recommendations included the need to optimize utilization of geneXpert machines and access to chest x-rays in district areas, provide training for district-level staff, enhance treatment support for patients, and improve data quality. Additionally, recommendations were made at national level for the use of research and innovations to advance TB case-detection and treatment outcomes.
Substantial efforts have been made to close the under-reporting gap, resulting in an increase of TB case notifications from 360,000 cases in 2016 to 570,000 in 2018.
The key challenges include, low TB detection; about one third of detectable MDR/RR-TB patients remain undetected, only half of diagnosed patients start treatment, and only half of theses have successful outcomes.
The recommendations include actions for expanding the scope of the PPM initiative, active case finding, revise treatment regimens, improvement of the treatment of MDR/RR-TB and expanding the uptake of TB preventive treatment.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]