New technical guidance developed jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO) aims to assist countries to adapt and implement social protection programmes that meet the needs of people affected by tuberculosis (TB), which in 2023 killed an estimated 1.25 million people globally.
The technical guidance is aligned with the global End TB Strategy, the 2017 Moscow Declaration to End TB, and the 2023 Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Fight Against TB. It aims to support Member States to ensure that 100% of people with TB have access to a health and social benefits package.
In Indonesia, social protection for TB is currently provided only for drug-resistant TB patients. Expanding this support could be achieved by providing all TB patients access to conditional cash transfers under the Programme Keluarga Harapan. Other programmes that could provide support include Programme Indonesia Sehat (Healthy Indonesia Programme), Programme Sembako (Staple Food Programme), Programme Kewirausahaan Sosial/Prokus (Social Entrepreneurship Programme), and Rehabilitasi Sosial Rumah Tidak Layak Huni (Social Rehabilitation of Uninhabitable Homes), which could support TB patients living in poor housing conditions.
The WHO-ILO guidance should be implemented as part of a multistakeholder and multisectoral response to TB. The translation of social protection policies that serve the needs of people affected by TB requires a coordinated effort within and beyond the health sector, with strong accountability of all actors involved.
Download the Guidance on social protection for people affected by TB here: Guidance on social protection for people affected by tuberculosis