The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) at the Universitas Indonesia (UI) is once again proud of the achievements of its students. Amira Puji Hastuti, Morin Kristiani, and Thrasya Varelie, three students from the 2023 Bachelor’s Program in Nutrition, won first place in the paper category at the Public Health International Competition (PHIC) 2024, held on October 13, 2024. The theme of PHIC 2024, organized by the Student Executive Board (BEM) of FPH UI, was “Navigating the Transformational Healthcare Landscape in the Era of Society 5.0: Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovations.”
The topic presented by Amira and her team was a strategy for preventing Monkeypox in Indonesia. The choice of this topic was based on the perspective of evaluating Indonesia’s handling of COVID-19. “Indonesia was not fully prepared to face COVID-19. Before it became a pandemic, many people underestimated it, treating it lightly and claiming immunity against the virus,” Amira said regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. “When COVID-19 finally became a pandemic, the public health sector and healthcare facilities in Indonesia were not ready to handle it,” she added.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans. However, the disease can also spread from human to human, which led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a global health emergency in 2022. “Although the transmission rate is not as severe as COVID-19, we cannot underestimate it. In Indonesia, there has not been much research on vaccines or monitoring of cases. Therefore, there needs to be a strategy to counter Monkeypox. One way is to look at the strategies of countries that have already implemented prevention measures,” explained Amira.
Currently, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore are countries that have prepared strategies to prevent Monkeypox. Due to their geographical proximity, Amira and her team used these three countries as references, reviewing literature and research on the development of prevention programs, as they share similar socio-cultural characteristics with Indonesia.
In their discussion, Amira and her team provided several strategic recommendations, with one of the key points being education and training for healthcare workers in handling Monkeypox cases. “The training provided should not only share information but also teach healthcare workers how to intervene and educate patients without stigmatizing them. This is crucial because 80% of Monkeypox cases are linked to homosexual behavior. If patients feel ashamed or afraid and are unwilling to report their symptoms, transmission will be easier, and detection will become more difficult. This strategy aims to prevent the spread of the virus from becoming uncontrollable,” Amira concluded.
Guided by Dr. Fathimah Sulistyowati Sigit, M.Res., Ph.D., a lecturer in the Department of Nutrition at FPH UI, Amira and her team successfully won the gold medal at PHIC 2024. As the team leader, Amira mentioned that her motivation to participate in writing competitions was driven by her desire to share the knowledge she has gained with the public.