UNS – University of Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta was declared as a Healthy Campus on Friday (11/29/2019). The launching was established by the Indonesian Health Ministry’s Director of Disease Control and Prevention, dr. Anung Sugihantono, M.Kes accompanied by Rector of UNS, Prof. Dr. Jamal Wiwoho at the yard in front of dr. Prakosa Building. The event began with aerobic dancing and the launching of Semar Aerobic Dance.
UNS Rector, Prof. Dr. Jamal Wiwoho said that the launching of UNS Healthy Campus was a UNS’ collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. Many programs that will be carried out by UNS following this launching, such as CERDIK (brilliant) an abbreviation of regularly medical Check-up, free smokE, exercising Routine, balanced Diet, suffIcient sleep and health maintenance worK.
“Medical check-up will be carried out regularly for the UNS leaders and the candidates. Then, there is no more smoke in UNS, especially in the offices. We also need to do aerobic dance every Friday for the physical activity routine. A balanced diet means there must be more fruits and vegetables for the snacks in UNS. And we also need to have adequate rest and health maintenance,” Prof. Jamal explained.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Health Ministry’s Director of Disease Control and Prevention, dr. Anung Sugihantono, M.Kes stated that university as a facility for the youngsters to pursue higher education and for the productive ages to form prospective agents of change had potential and good value in contributing the public health development.
According to the fact, WHO in 1998 introduced the concept of Health Promoting University which is one of the programs to promote environmental-based health that applies socio-ecological approaches. Based on the benefits of developing the Health University concept, the Ministry of Health made a breakthrough to optimize the disease prevention and control of the productive age groups called Health Campus Program. This is a systematic and comprehensive program in realizing the university as an institution that integrates health in the culture of the campus through daily operational activities, administrative management, and academic mandatory. This program is a synergy of promotive and preventive actions to live a healthy life as a manifestation of the People’s Healthy Lifestyle Movement (Germas) through “education oh healthy lifestyles, early detection, and integrated with healthy environment management. Therefore, it is expected that the prevalence of disease and its risk factors in the campus can be decreased.
“Hopefully, the Program of Healthy Campus can initiate the education sector to actively play a role in manifesting healthy Indonesia by being involved directly in promotive and preventive actions in the university,” Dr. Anung hopes.
It is expected that universities have regulations to support the clean, healthy, and safe environment, having a good waste management system, facilities, and infrastructures that meet the safety, health, and disability standards. There is a healthy canteen that serves a varied healthy menu. The decree of the rector regarding no smoking, no alcohol, and no drugs areas, as well as free violence areas. The early detection for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) and mental health issues are carried out routinely, periodically, and follow-up on the examination results. Always encourage health promotion both directly to the students, and community services, and through IEC media. Encourage physical activity through regular aerobic dance scheduling, support the stretching movement between lecture hours and other efforts that can be developed by university in accordance with the capabilities and resources.
“Nowadays, the Healthy Campus Program is still in the testing phase, which will be implemented by 4 universities: University of Indonesia, Andalas University, UNS, University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. The program development will be carried out in several stages. They are audience, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Partnership Agreement signation, orientation, program launching/socialization, and monitoring/evaluation,” dr. Anung added.
Planned in 2020, the Healthy Campus program will be expanded to 5 other universities to add evidence in the program preparation which will become a national program and subsequently offered to the Ministry of Education and Culture as one of the aspects of university accreditation assessment. Humas UNS/Try