DIVERSION OF PUBLIC HEALTH RESOURCES TO COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CONTROL AND ITS EFFECTS ON NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS PROGRAM: A QUALITATIVE STUDY AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN ACEH BESAR DISTRICT, INDONESIA

Abstract

The objectives of our qualitative study with focus group discussion were to describe: 1) the nature of public health resource diversion from the Indonesian National Tuberculosis Program to COVID-19 prevention and control efforts, and; 2) the extent that the Indonesia National Tuberculosis Program implementation was affected by this diversion. We performed qualitative research through one session of focus group discussion with 7 healthcare workers in Aceh Besar District, Aceh Province. Participants reported diversion of human resources in the TB program to support COVID-19 prevention and control. However, the TB program budget was not affected, and the effect on material was also moderate. TB program activities continued during the COVID-19 pandemic, but case finding and sputum testing became more difficult from stigma related to COVID-19. However, participants also reported positive effects of the pandemic on the TB Program, e.g. apparent improvement on respiratory hygiene. To our knowledge, our study was the first qualitative study on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on National TB Program in the study area. However, caveats regarding lack of generalizability and lack of depth of the study data should be considered in the interpretation of the study findings.