In a bid to combat the surge in tuberculosis (TB) cases, Indonesia has announced plans to run clinical trials for several vaccines this year.

The government is concerned that the disease, which saw over 1 million cases in 2023 compared to around 820,000 in 2020, could impact economic growth.

With TB-related deaths reaching approximately 134,000 in 2022, making Indonesia the second-highest globally after India, the human development minister, Muhadjir Effendy, expressed concerns about the disease's impact on economic activity.

Notably, 75% of patients were in the productive age group, and 45% did not work.

The health minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, revealed that Indonesia will conduct a trial of a TB vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline in July, involving 2,500 participants.

The exact impact on economic growth remains unestimated.

Title: "Indonesia's Progress in Tuberculosis Vaccine Development and Reduction of Mortality Rate"

Summary:

In a recent meeting, Indonesia announced its plans to be at the forefront of tuberculosis (TB) vaccination.

The country is set to conduct clinical trials for a vaccine developed by CanSino Biologics, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and another mRNA vaccine by BioNTech, the same company that developed the COVID-19 vaccine for Pfizer.

Additionally, the home affairs minister, Tito Karnavian, has ordered provincial leaders to establish task forces to detect TB infections.

Indonesia aims to significantly reduce its TB mortality rate, targeting an 80% decrease, with only six deaths per 100,000 lives by 2030.