Reaching Challenging Population in TB Program Through Religious, Informal Leaders and Traditional Music in West Sumatera Province, Indonesia

TB is a leading public health concern in Indonesia which ranks second on the list of high burden TB countries. In West Sumatra 47% of TB cases are undetected, diagnosed late, or received incomplete treatment because of low-level awareness and knowledge especially among the hardest to reach populations. Community empowerment against tuberculosis project funded by USAID and lead by Networking For Community Welfare & Health was implemented in West Sumatra, Indonesia, focuses on identify the best communication channel to reach those who lived vulnerable and remote areas. Afterwards, the leaders conducted community outreach to increase community awareness and knowledge about TB and improve community health-seeking behaviour. Our strategies included empowerment, capacity building, and socialization TB through Traditional Music Media by conducted edutainment with free traditional music and ethnic theatricals, integrating information regarding TB signs and symptoms and the impact of non-treatment of cases and transmission to the music. The involvements of religious and informal leaders and the use of traditional music as communication channel improves the population’s awareness of TB symptoms and access to TB testing and treatment. We observed an increase in the case detection rate from 47% to 85% during the study period. Religious, informal leaders and traditional music were the best communication channel to reach the vulnerable population especially those who lived in remote areas