Many Indonesians Uninformed About TB, Disease Treatment Options, Survey Says

Many Indonesians lack sufficient knowledge about tuberculosis and its treatment, according to a survey conducted by the Coalition for Healthy Indonesia, the Jakarta Post reports. The survey of 3,600 people was conducted in 15 municipalities and eight provinces between September 2005 and December 2005. According to the survey, 58% of respondents did not know that TB can be cured. About 20% of survey participants said that they could recognize TB symptoms, and 36% responded that they did not know treatment is available at no cost from the government at community health centers, coalition spokesperson Ade Yuanita said. In addition, 37% of respondents said they would prefer TB medication prescribed by a doctor to the no-cost medication, which they said was of poor quality, according to the survey. The results indicate that many people who contract TB do not seek treatment immediately, according to Yuanita. She added that the survey also reveals that many Indonesians see TB as "a disgraceful illness or a disease caused by black magic." Yuanita urged the government to do more to disseminate information about the disease, including utilizing health care workers and television outlets. TB kills about 140,000 people in Indonesia annually, the Post reports (Rukmantara, Jakarta Post, 2/20).