The program was led by UNS Master’s students Julhan Irfandi, Anindhita Saviorel Rivaldy, Anggie Rahmatul Azizah, and Shafira Meidy Savitri. They collaborated with the Community Service Team from Stikes Mambaul ‘Ulum Surakarta and local leaders, including LPDP scholarship recipients from UNS, with support from the Wonorejo Village Head and local PKK (Family Welfare Empowerment) members. The event was attended by 35 adolescents aged 15 to 18.

To uns.ac.id on Tuesday (14/1/2025), Julhan Irfandi explained that the program began with measurements of participants’ height and weight to calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI). The team then conducted early screenings for non-communicable diseases by checking blood pressure, random blood sugar levels, and uric acid levels. “This screening aims to prevent and identify potential health issues in adolescents, such as hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic disorders, which are no longer limited by age,” Julhan explained.

Sharing Education on Nutrition Awareness

The team also provided nutrition education as a promotive and preventive effort using visually engaging booklets. The booklets were designed to deliver structured and systematic information, making it easier for participants to grasp the concepts of balanced nutrition and healthy body image. Combining text, images, and graphics, the booklets also served as reference material participants could revisit at home.

“The core goal of this initiative, held on November 10, 2024, was to raise adolescents’ awareness of the importance of balanced nutrition,” Julhan added.

Through this education, the team hopes to encourage healthier eating habits among adolescents. With support from various stakeholders, the program aspires to have a long-term impact on creating a healthier younger generation.

The program will expand with a workshop involving both parents and adolescents to discuss healthy eating habits and support optimal nutritional status. In addition, collaboration with local youth health posts (Posyandu Remaja) will be initiated to reach more adolescents and provide ongoing nutrition education.

HUMAS UNS

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Prof. Ari Probandari, Professor in Public Health Science Faculty of Medical Science (FK) UNS and one of the researchers at PINTAR, emphasized that this campaign aims to improve community awareness on the danger of antibiotic resistance. She also quoted the WHO statement that antibiotic resistance is as dangerous as a pandemic. Therefore, community involvement is needed to be an agent of change in using antibiotics wisely.

“This can start with purchasing antibiotics only with doctor prescription,” Prof. Ari stated on Wednesday (1/12/2021).

In line with this statement, Prof. Tri Wibawa, as Professor at the Faculty of Medical Science, Community Health, and Nursing (FKKMK) Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), added that this campaign is a form of willingness to be involved in educating the community. Besides UNS, the campaign that ran from 18 to 24 November 2021 was also supported by UGM, Ministry of Health, Kirby Institute of UNSW Sydney, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University College London, and George Institute for Global Health UNSW Sydney.

“Around forty participants involved in the campaign run in three locations; around Bank Indonesia area, Taman Indonesia Kaya, and Simpang Lima. One by one, education was held to prioritize community comfort, considering the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic,” Prof. Ari added.

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance occurs as the result of antibiotic use that does not follow the indication. Based on the PINTAR study, there were 69% of antibiotic usage without a doctor’s prescription, which is prohibited by the regulation because antibiotic falls under potent drug classification.

The Chief of PC IAI Chapter Semarang, I Kadek Bagiana M.Sc. Apt., stated that the danger of antimicrobial resistance is the difficulty in treating patients once they get an infection.

“Antibiotics should be used according to the needs or indication because not all illnesses need antibiotics. This is also to correct community comprehension that they need antibiotics for pain. We want to emphasize to the community that they need to be wise in using antibiotics,” I Kadek Bagiana stated.

Pharmaceutical personnel, both pharmacists and pharmaceutical technical personnel, certainly have an important role in controlling antimicrobial resistance in the community. Humas UNS

Reporter: Bayu Prasetya Aji
Editor: Dwi Hastuti

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