The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI) inaugurated the FPH UI PDRC Learning Center Platform and the FPH UI Stunting Resource Center (SRC) on Thursday, November 23, 2023, in the Hall of Building A, FPH UI. The inauguration ceremony was carried out by the Director of Health Promotion and Community Empowerment, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, dr. Elvieda Sariwati, M.Epid.; Dean of FPH UI, Prof. Dr. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo; Chair of the Stunting Resources Center, Prof. Dr. Endang L. Achadi; Director of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur, Tbk., Axton Salim; General Manager Corporate Communication PT Indofood Sukses Makmur, Tbk., Stephanus Indrayana; and HSE/CSR Manager PT Bayan Resources, Tbk., Dian Fiana Ratna Dewi.
The development of the FPH UI PDRC Learning Center Platform (www.learningcenter-pdrcFPHui.id) is one of the concrete steps taken by the FPH UI Positive Deviance Resource Center (PDRC) research cluster, in collaboration with PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk., to provide access to education without divide distance and time for health workers and health partners. The presence of the PDRC FPH UI Learning Center platform also received support from various parties, such as YARSI University, Hasanuddin University, Airlangga University, and several Professional Organizations (OP), such as the Indonesian Medical Nutrition Doctors Association (PDGMI), the Indonesian Nutritionists Association (PERSAGI), and the Indonesian Public Health Experts Association (IAKMI).
On that occasion, dr. Elvieda, who was present representing the Director General of Public Health, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, expressed her appreciation for the creation of the PDRC and SRC FPH UI Learning Center. “Health personnel and cadres play an important role as the closest source of information for the community. FPH UI is expected to provide a strategic role in the stunting reduction program through educating health workers and cadres so that they are able to increase community knowledge and insight regarding stunting prevention efforts. “Thank you for the contribution of FPH UI which helps the community in accelerating stunting reduction with the PDRC and SRC FPH UI Learning Center,” said Dr. Elvieda in her speech.
Since 2022 PDRC FPH UI has developed 6 educational/training material topics for health workers and health partners in the community, so that health workers and their partners get comprehensive and up-to-date nutrition and health information, especially regarding stunting, to create a uniform understanding between health workers, cadres, and other health partners, which ultimately changes the healthy behavior of pregnant women and mothers with toddlers.
“With the support of PT Indofood, PDRC FPH UI is developing a Learning Center platform which is expected to provide the widest possible benefits for staff, cadres and other health partners. In line with this, the SRC FPH UI was also established as our response as academics to the magnitude of the stunting problem which is currently a serious concern for the Indonesian government. “It is hoped that SRC FPHUI will become a center of national and international expertise for policy studies, education/training programs, mentoring activity programs in the community, information dissemination, the latest scientific studies and global developments related to stunting,” said the Dean of FPH UI, Prof. Mondastri.
Several important factors related to the incidence of stunting are very closely related to community behavior, so providing adequate education plays a very important role in changing people’s healthy behavior. “Most of the various programs implemented in Indonesia include programs that have been proven to be cost-effective in reducing stunting, such as exclusive breastfeeding, complementary breastfeeding (MPASI), vitamin A supplementation, prevention of infectious diseases, complete basic immunization, consumption of TTD for pregnant women, and consumption of balanced nutritious food by pregnant women. “However, the coverage of these programs is still relatively low, which shows that the public still lacks understanding of stunting and the factors that cause it,” explained Prof. Endang Achadi, one of the initiators of the development of the PDRC FPH UI Learning Center Platform.
Currently, educational content for health workers that can be accessed on the PDRC FPH UI Learning Center Platform is Stunting, Anemia in Pregnant Women, and Short Guidelines for Feeding Infants and Children (IYCF). Apart from that, considering that the role of cadres in society is very important, a video has also been developed about Stunting and Anemia in pregnant women for cadres. Through a collaboration scheme with the private sector, namely PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk., PT Bayan Resources Tbk., and the Indonesian Employers’ Association (APINDO), by providing scholarships to health workers to be able to study for free on the platform, this content has and will provide benefits widely to more than 7000 health workers spread across various regions in Indonesia. In the future, the PDRC FPH UI Learning Center Platform will develop various other educational content which is expected to be able to broadly address the needs of health workers and health partners in Indonesia in efforts to reduce stunting and various other nutritional problems.
Simultaneously with the launch of the FPH UI PDRC Learning Center Platform, Faculty of Public Health, experts from the FPH UI Public Health Nutrition Department and the FPH UI PDRC research cluster, initiated the establishment of a research and community service cluster, the FPH UI Stunting Resource Center (SRC) which is supported by PT Bayan Resources Tbk. The establishment of SRC FPH UI cannot be separated from the track record of experts who have been involved in various collaborative activities related to 1000 HPK and stunting, with various collaboration partners, both at the national and international levels. These activities include advocacy, research, community service, reviewing the latest global and national programs and policies, as well as program monitoring and evaluation.
The presence of SRC FPH UI is clear evidence of the contribution of the academic world through synergistic collaboration with the business world to be directly involved in efforts to prevent and overcome nutritional problems in Indonesia, especially the problem of stunting which is currently the focus of national development. At its inception, SRC FPH UI will focus on training health workers and empowering cadres, as well as developing a mentoring program to prevent stunting in the community, which is supported by PT Bayan Resources Tbk. and PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk.
This event was also witnessed both offline and online by various invited guests such as representatives of Plt. Deputy for Research and Development at BKKBN, Dr. Ukik Kusuma Kurniawan; Secretary of the Indonesian Medical Council – Directorate General of Health Care, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, dr. Imran Agus Nurali, Sp. KO.; Chair of the Indonesian Ministry of Health’s Quality Standards and Nutrition Services and KIA Working Team, Mahfud Fauzi, S.K.M., M.Kes.; PMO Directorate of Nutrition and KIA, Dakhlan Choeron, S.K.M., M.K.M.; representatives of Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) Academia and SUN Business Network, Professional Organizations, the Business World, Health Services throughout Jabodetabek, and all online training participants from the District. Muara Enim, Kab. Bone, Kab. West Kutai, Kab. East Kutai, Kab. Kutai Kartanegara, Balikpapan City, Kab. East Sumba, and Kab. Central Maluku.