From Waste to Health: A Qualitative Case Study of the Punggawa Nusantara Social Innovation Program for Community-Based Tuberculosis Control in Jakarta’s Urban Coastal Settlements

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the major public health challenges in Indonesia, particularly in densely populated urban coastal settlements where environmental degradation, poor sanitation, and socioeconomic vulnerability intersect. This study examines Punggawa Nusantara, a social innovation program implemented by PT PLN Nusantara Power Generation Unit (UP) Muara Karang in Pluit Subdistrict, Penjaringan District, North Jakarta, which positions TB control as a cross-sectoral issue connecting health, the environment, and the local economy. Using a qualitative research design with a single-case study approach, this study analyzes program documents, monitoring records, testimonials, and secondary literature to explore how the program’s core innovations, namely Kit Peduli TB and wood-waste-based Bilik Skrining, BEBAS TB application, and four interconnected subprograms (Arjuna, Sadewa, Bima, and Nakula), generate systemic change for vulnerable groups. The findings indicate that the program represents a form of radical social innovation that empowers one problem to solve another (empowering problems to solve problems). By processing 3.3 tons of organic waste from wooden pallets and household waste into TB prevention and treatment tools, the program simultaneously addresses environmental concerns and treatment adherence. During the 2023–2025 period, the program reached 8,683 direct and indirect beneficiaries, recorded a 100% cure rate among cases that had completed treatment, and expanded from coverage in a single neighborhood unit (RW) to replication across provinces. The program also strengthened social cohesion, reduced TB-related stigma, and transformed the corporate social responsibility approach from conventional charitable assistance into a systemic social innovation model based on shared value creation. This study contributes to the literature on social innovation for infectious disease control in urban areas with limited carrying capacity and offers practical lessons for replicating community-based health interventions and circular economy initiatives in other settings.