Indonesia is one of the countries with the highest burden of Tuberculosis (often referred to as TB) in the world, with an estimated number of sufferers reaching about 845,000 people and a mortality rate equivalent to 11 deaths/hour (based on the WHO Global TB Report in 2020). This certainly has a serious impact on TB sufferers, as well as their families and people around them.
TB is an infectious disease caused by the mycobacterium tuberculosis germ, transmitted through saliva or phlegm droplets when a TB patient coughs or sneezes. Until now, TB still requires serious treatment that needs to be done together to control its spread.
Nurses have preventive, curative and promotive roles in dealing with TB cases. For handling, it needs to be detected early so that it can be done accurately immediately. Nurses can also be educators to improve the cognitive abilities of the community, so people are able to improve their health status.
Triggered by this background, Syamikar Baridwan Syamsir, a Community Nursing Specialist student at Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Indonesia (FIK UI), created “Menu STOP TB” Web Application. This application was developed as an effort to control the spread of TB in the community through the efforts of technology-based health education, TB case finding, appropriate and rapid TB treatment, and maintaining treatment until recovery.
Features include in the application are TB Health Education, TB Screening Menu, and TB Consultation Hot Line. This application is expected to be an innovation that helps improve the quality of health in Indonesia.
This application was introduced and socialized to the community through community service activities (Pengmas). It were carried out by Pengmas Team of Community Nursing Department of FIK UI chaired by Agus Setiawan, S.Kp., M.N., D.N (The Dean of FIK UI). It involved several students of community specialist and master of nursing at Pengmas event entitled “Improving Cadres Capacity through Utilization of Digital Technology “Aplikasi Menu STOP TB” in Improving Tuberculosis Case Finding at Pacar Public Health Center, West Manggarai District, NTT”.
The activity, which was held in the middle of last month at the Hall of Pacar Public Health Center, aimed to increase technological literacy and train cadres to be able to prevent TB by utilizing technology. In addition, there was a brainstorming session to listen to the challenges faced by health cadres and community leaders towards the implementation of TB programs in the community; education on the basic concepts of TB as well as its prevention and treatment, stigma and discrimination that are inhibiting factors in the implementation of TB programs in the community; and the importance of contact investigation in TB cases.
Furthermore, FIK UI Service Team also demonstrated the use of the web-based TB Web Application “Menu STOP TB” to help and facilitate cadres and community leaders in identifying people suspected of TB. The utilization of technology in preventing TB is needed in the current era.
Pacar Village was chosen as the place of service because Pacar Public Health Center is one of the health centers in West Manggarai District which already has a molecular rapid test (tcm) examination tool that is used as the standard for TB diagnostic examinations.
This activity involved 30 participants from various elements or key figures in the working area of Pacar Public Health Center, namely health cadres, PKK driving team, village heads, and community leaders. “The participants of community service activities were very enthusiastic about participating in community service activities carried out by FIK UI. Hopefully, this activity will not end here but will continue and the synergy between FIK UI and West Manggarai District will be maintained. This education and training is carried out to improve the ability to increase the understanding and skills of cadres and community leaders cognitively and psychomotorly in optimizing the prevention of TB transmission and also increasing the case finding rate in Pacar Village,” said Agus Setiawan.
