MoH/Hanifah Rogayah
Participants of the National Planning Meeting on Tobacco Cessation, Yogyakarta 25-27 June 2023.
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Breaking free: Enhancing tobacco cessation services to help Indonesians quit smoking

3 January 2024
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Breaking free from tobacco addiction is a common desire among smokers, with 63% of Indonesia’s 70.2 million   tobacco users planned to or were thinking about quitting smoking, as revealed by the 2021 Indonesia Global Adults Tobacco Survey (GATS). Despite this strong motivation, existing tobacco cessation services in the country fall short in effectively supporting these individuals. These services typically offer a range of resources and interventions to assist people in overcoming nicotine addiction and adopting healthier lifestyles, increasing the chances of successful quitting and long-term tobacco abstinence. However, the same report revealed that only 38.9% of smokers who visited healthcare facilities received advice on quitting, highlighting a crucial gap that needs urgent attention.

In response to this challenges, MoH collaborated with WHO Indonesia to host the National Planning Meeting on Tobacco Cessation from 25 to 27 June 2023. The primary goals were to raise awareness about the importance of comprehensive tobacco cessation services, identify challenges, and develop key recommendations for a national action plan to enhance these services across Indonesia. The meeting brought together 45 representatives from various line ministries and public bodies, including MoH, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Food and Drugs Administration (Badan POM), the Healthcare and Social Security Agency for Health (BPJS Kesehatan), as well as civil society organizations and academia. 


The Tobacco Control Unit, Directorate of NCD Prevention and Control, MoH, shared their experience in the implementation of national guidelines and a chatbot for tobacco cessation. Credit: MoH /Meutia Rachma


Dr Dongbo Fu, Medical Officer for Tobacco Cessation at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, shared WHO recommendations and best practices from around the world. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive tobacco cessation and treatment system, which incorporates population-level approaches, intensive individual interventions, and the use of medications listed in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. 


Participants reached consensus on three key recommendations for future action. Firstly, they advocated for integrating brief advice on tobacco cessation into all facets and levels of health service delivery, as a response to the GATS results indicating that only 38.9% of smokers visiting healthcare providers received advice to quit smoking.   Secondly, they proposed leveraging digital technology by enhancing the mobile cessation app so that more people can access tobacco cessation assistance. Lastly, they recommended pharmacological interventions to bolster the success rate of tobacco cessation efforts.

Remarks by Dr Lubna Bhatti, Team Lead Non-Communicable Diseases and Healthier Population Unit, WHO Indonesia. Credit: MoH /Meutia Rachma

 

"We need collaboration with multiple sectors and integration with other health and development programmes to establish a comprehensive tobacco cessation service. This approach will significantly contribute to reducing the number of smokers in Indonesia," said Dr Benget Saragih, Head of the Tobacco Control Unit at the Directorate of Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control, MoH.

The meeting recommendations lay the foundation for a comprehensive national action plan on tobacco cessation (NAP) that will be developed in 2024. This plan, which will be established through a Health Minister Regulation, will act as a strategic roadmap for stakeholders in Indonesia, guiding their efforts to address this crucial issue. By setting priorities, coordinating actions, and monitoring progress of tobacco cessation, the NAP will create a collaborative space where stakeholders work together to ensure high-quality tobacco cessation services are accessible to all those in need. Achieving this target will contribute to substantial reductions in tobacco use in Indonesia, fostering a healthier nation for everyone.
Written by Ridhwan Fauzi, National Professional Officer for Tobacco Free Initiative, WHO Indonesia.