The Readiness for Implementation of Tuberculosis Prevention Therapy Services for Latent TB Infections in Children at Surabaya City Public Health Centre

¹ Doctoral Program, Faculty of Public Health, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
² Regional Research and Innovation Agency (BRIDA), Surabaya City, East Java Province, Indonesia
³ Veteran National Development University, Surabaya, Indonesia
⁴ National Research and Innovation Agency, Hydrodynamic Technology Research Center, Surabaya, Indonesia
⁵ National Research and Innovation Agency, Research Center for Public Health and Nutrition, Bogor Regency, Indonesia
⁶ Faculty of Public Health, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia

^* Corresponding rukmini-2023fkm@unair.ac.id

Abstract

Tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) aims to prevent latent TB infection (LTBI) from progressing to active tuberculosis. The WHO recommends TPT for children under five who are exposed to TB patients. In Surabaya City, TPT coverage among child contacts of TB patients was very low, at 1.7% (2020), 4.8% (2021), and 2.6% (2022). This study assesses the readiness of TPT services for children with LTBI living in the same household as TB patients. An observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted in 30 public health centers in Surabaya, analyzing service readiness across four variables: investigation, examination, therapy, and information-education-communication (IEC). Results showed that active contact investigation was frequently conducted (50%), while LTBI investigation for children who had not started treatment was only occasional (27.59%), and most of those who discontinued treatment were not investigated (55.17%). Clinical symptom examinations were often performed (86.67%), but chest X-rays were infrequent (36.67%). Therapy according to LTBI protocols was commonly provided (70%), though handling of missed doses was still lacking (46.67%). IEC was most frequently conducted when patients received TB test results (70%), but was less common at the end of TPT (63.33%). The overall readiness index of TPT services in Surabaya was moderately ready (75.18%), with the highest score in IEC (83.47%) and the lowest in investigation (64.17%). Pakis Public Health Center showed the highest readiness (93.75%), and Jemursari Public Health Center the lowest (38.25%)