Antara News · আন্তর্জাতিক

Indonesia leads major global research on nutrition-based TB prevention

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This is the first large-scale study of its kind, representing a remarkable achievement for Indonesia.

Depok (ANTARA) - The University of Indonesia (UI) is leading an international study on the role of nutrition in preventing tuberculosis (TB) among household contacts of TB patients.

The research is expected to strengthen the scientific evidence base for developing TB prevention strategies in Indonesia and around the world.

Hamdi Muluk, UI’s vice rector for research, innovation, student affairs, and alumni, emphasized that universities play a strategic role in conducting research to address complex public health challenges.

The Ministry of Health has officially launched the Prevention of Household Tuberculosis with Optimal Nutrition (PHOTON) study, a large-scale clinical trial examining the potential of nutritional interventions to prevent TB among household contacts of patients.

According to Muluk, UI’s involvement in PHOTON demonstrates the university’s commitment to generating scientific evidence that can inform evidence-based policymaking.

The launch marks a step toward strengthening collaboration among the government, academic institutions, international research partners, and other health stakeholders to address TB, which remains a major public health challenge.

Indonesia has the world’s second-highest TB burden, with approximately one million people falling ill with the disease annually.

“This is the first large-scale study of its kind, representing a remarkable achievement for Indonesia. We are proud to provide robust evidence through a scientific approach to support policy development,” Muluk said.

The PHOTON study was developed in response to the need for stronger scientific evidence on the relationship between nutritional status and the risk of developing TB.

Rina Agustina, director of the Center for Global Resilience in Health and Nutrition (C-GRHEN) and principal investigator for PHOTON in Indonesia, said nutritional interventions could serve as a complementary strategy to protect vulnerable populations and accelerate progress toward TB elimination.

The large-scale clinical trial involves 78,400 participants in Indonesia and Tanzania, including more than 42,000 participants from Indonesia.

In Indonesia, UI will lead the research through C-GRHEN, in collaboration with the Summit Institute for Development (SID), Siklus Indonesia, and the University of Oxford.

In Tanzania, the study is being led by the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR). The research is supported by the Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Agustina said PHOTON’s significance extends beyond its scale, highlighting Indonesia’s active role in global scientific leadership.

“Indonesia is not merely a research site; it also plays an active role in scientific leadership, from formulating research questions and developing protocols to designing and conducting the study alongside international and national partners,” she said.

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