Health Cadres’ Experience Regarding Health Cadres’ Experience Regarding COVID-19: Differences and Challenges -A Quantitative Study

Background: The prevalence of tuberculosis cases globally continues to increase, with countries that had a high burden of tuberculosis in 2017 accounting for 87% of all cases reported worldwide. The rules that strengthen national strategies and guidelines for eradicating tuberculosis are outlined in presidential decree No. 67 of 2021, which emphasizes the role of cadres and the community in the national tuberculosis control program. This study aimed to understand community health cadres’ experiences in implementing tuberculosis programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study employed a qualitative design with an interpretive phenomenological approach. This research was conducted at Inisiatif Lampung Sehat, a Sub-Recipient Community in Lampung, Indonesia. The eligibility criteria were tuberculosis community cadres, patient supporters, and case managers. A total of 26 informants contributed to this study during the second to third week of May 2022. The interviews were recorded and lasted an average of 45 to 60 minutes. Most of the participants were cadres (65.4%). More than two-thirds (70.37%) of the participants were aged 41 to 50 years and all cadres were women.  Results: Two themes emerged from the participant’s plots: the non-personal function aspect, which related to classifying experiences regarding the types of activities and health policies implemented, and the personal function aspect, which derived from the individuals involved in the participants’ experiences, such as TB suspects, TB patients, the cadres themselves and the organizations. Conclusion: Cadres played a significant role during the pandemic through many activities and helped connect all parties involved in the limited implementation of tuberculosis programs at that time.