The COVID-19 pandemic, which hit Indonesia in early 2020, has impacted the handling of tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
The pandemic disrupted patients’ access to healthcare facilities, caused financial difficulties due to job loss, and diverted healthcare workers’ focus from handling COVID-19.
These were some findings from The Domino Study, presented during the Policy Dialogue titled Epidemic/Public Health Emergency, held in a hybrid format on Wednesday (Aug. 28) at El Hotel Malioboro.
The Domino Study was conducted by the UGM Center for Tropical Medicine, the Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Sebelas Maret, the University of New South Wales (UNSW), and the London School of Health Tropical Medicine.
One of the lead researchers of The Domino Study, Professor Ari Probandari, explained that the study, which was conducted over more than two years, examined HIV and TB services in Yogyakarta and Bandung before and during the pandemic.
These two cities were chosen due to their high number of cases. The team collected data from the TB and HIV information systems in these areas.
The study found a 38 percent decrease in patients undergoing TB tests. Yet, case detection is a key element in eliminating TB in Indonesia.
“The failure rate of TB treatment also increased by one and a half times,” the professor of public health added.
A decline in services also occurred in HIV treatment, including the number of patient visits to healthcare facilities and the number of patients who started and continued HIV therapy. This qualitative study also uncovered findings such as the loss of financial capability, which led some patients to stop treatment.
“Although the government covers treatment costs, patients still incur expenses for treatment,” she explained.
Based on these findings, the researchers proposed several recommendations, including expanding health insurance coverage for patients who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Dr. Endang Lukitosari, Head of the HIV & PIMS Task Force at the Indonesian Ministry of Health, emphasized that the findings from this study are crucial for raising awareness to anticipate emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We also need to implement service diversification to ensure uninterrupted patient care,” she said.
Responding to the findings through direct field review, Dr. Tiffany Tiara Pakasi, Chair of the TB Task Force at the Ministry of Health, addressed the issue of drug shortages during the pandemic.
“Regarding drug shortages, we were competing globally,” she remarked.
Dr. Ira Dewi Jani, Head of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) at the Bandung City Health Office, appreciated the research findings for advocacy to the local government.
“We felt the impact of the pandemic, but it needs to be scientifically proven,” she explained.
The Head of the P2P Data Management & Health Information Systems Division at the Yogyakarta City Health Office, Dr. Lana Unwanah, stated that the pandemic had overwhelmed everyone.
However, it also offered lessons on the need to remain creative and innovative in making breakthroughs in various areas.
“I am also grateful that during the pandemic, TB management in my area received support from Zero TB Yogyakarta, an initiative from the UGM Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM), which primarily focused on active case detection using mobile X-rays,” she said.
In conclusion, Professor Probandari emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder synergy in readiness to face future emergencies. From the study, we hope to draw lessons from the past pandemic to prepare for future challenges.
Author: Dita
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif