The Medical Office of Jayapura, Papua, found there are 1,128 cases of Tuberculosis (TB) during 2022.
“In total there are 1,128 cases that we found, or around 72%. We are now the seventh highest in Papua,” said the Person in Charge of TB Handling in Jayapura Alfonsina Rumbino after attending a meeting with TB cadre from all of Community Health Centers in Jayapura.
She said that the TB infection in Jayapura is still high because most of them are unaware with the disease.
“On 2021 to 2022, around 40% of people are infected with TB in Jayapura. Until now, the infection rate is still high,” she says.
She explained that the TB infections in Bumi Kenambai Umbai – the nickname of Jayapura city – was the result of unawareness of the community and adds that each infected person have the potential to infect 10 people.
“So from the findings, other than those who came to the medical center, there are also those who were found through surveilance, where each TB patients will be tracked who were in contact with and check them,” she said.
She then explained the cause of the high cases in Jayapura are because of lifestyle and the mobilization of the people who come to Sentani City.
“So to suppres the case number, we arranged a meeting with TB cadre to list the cases data and discuss about the TB factors in the region so that we could know what to do next ,” she said.
She appealed for those who have coughing for more than two weeks to immediately consult with the doctors.