Depok, 18 December 2025 – The Faculty of Public Health (FPH), Universitas Indonesia (UI), once again reaffirmed its role as a national academic reference in the development of public health sciences through the convening of the Open Doctoral Promotion Examination for the Public Health Science Study Program on 18 December 2025. The examination served as a platform for the emergence of scholarly ideas that address strategic national health challenges, particularly efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates and to strengthen maternal and child health (MCH) services.
Held in a hybrid format at the Doctoral Promotion Room, Building G, FPH UI, Ruwayda formally defended her dissertation entitled “The Effect of an Integrated Midwife Opinion Leader (MOL) Model and Facilitative Supervision on Midwives’ Performance and Its Impact on Maternal and Child Health Service Coverage in Jambi Province, 2025.” The examination was chaired by the Dean of FPH UI, Prof. Dr. Indri Hapsari Susilowati, S.K.M., M.K.K.K., and was accompanied by Prof. Dr. Drs. Sutanto Priyo Hastono, M.Kes., as Promotor; Prof. dr. Kemal Nazaruddin Siregar, S.K.M., M.A., Ph.D., and Prof. Dr. Dra. Evi Marta, M.Kes., as Co-Promotors; as well as an examination panel comprising experts in public health and midwifery: Dr. Dra. Rita Damayanti, MSPH.; Prof. dr. Anhari Achadi, S.K.M., Sc.D.; Dr. Ade Jubaedah, S.Keb., Bdn., M.M., M.K.M.; Dr. Muldiasman, S.K.M., M.K.M.; and dr. Dwi Tyastuti, M.P.H., Ph.D.
Ruwayda’s research was motivated by the persistently low achievement of facilitative supervision for midwives in various regions, including Jambi Province, despite the availability of national regulations, guidelines, and standard operating procedures for midwifery services. This condition directly affects midwives’ performance and the achievement of Maternal and Child Health Minimum Service Standard (MSS) indicators, such as the fourth antenatal care visit (K4), skilled birth attendance, postpartum visits, and services for neonates, infants, and toddlers.
Through her dissertation, Ruwayda developed an innovative model integrating Midwife Opinion Leaders (MOL) with facilitative supervision. This model positions coordinating midwives as opinion leaders who play an active role in coaching, intensive communication, and strengthening the motivation and competencies of village midwives. The supervisory approach moves beyond administrative functions to focus on direct field-based mentoring grounded in leadership and professional values.
The findings demonstrate that the implementation of the integrated MOL and facilitative supervision model has a significant effect on improving midwives’ performance. These improvements are reflected in the quality of midwifery services, including antenatal care, childbirth assistance, postpartum care, and newborn services, which ultimately lead to increased MCH service coverage in the intervention areas. The innovation is also considered effective in enhancing midwives’ motivation and capacity through applied and contextual coaching practices.
The research Promotor, Prof. Dr. Drs. Sutanto Priyo Hastono, M.Kes., emphasized that this study makes an important contribution to strengthening the quality of supervision by MCH coordinating midwives at community health centers (puskesmas). The examination panel highlighted that the novelty of the research lies in integrating leadership and coaching aspects into midwifery supervision, aligning with the direction of health service transformation, particularly the strengthening of primary health care within the maternal and child health cluster.
In the future, the model developed in this research is planned to be expanded into a digital application and supported by policy advocacy, cross-sectoral collaboration, and research funding to enable broader implementation.
Upon successfully defending her dissertation, Ruwayda was declared to have passed and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Public Health Science with a cum laude distinction, further adding to the list of FPH UI doctoral graduates who make tangible contributions to national health development. Dr. Ruwayda is the 30th graduate of the Public Health Doctoral Program in 2025, the 369th graduate of the Public Health Doctoral Program, and the 484th doctoral graduate overall at FPH UI. (EAR)