Lecturer at Health Polytecnique of Health Ministry Yogyakarta, Herman Santjoko, SKM, M.Si, earned a doctorate in environmental science from the Graduate School of UGM, Friday (4/6). In the open doctoral examination, Herman defended his dissertation on the development of water-based diseases through spatial ecological perspective after the earthquake disaster that struck Bantul regency in 2006.
In front of the examiner, Herman said that in general, the development of water-based disease that affects the population before and after the earthquake on May 27, 2006 with a strength of 5.9 Richter scale has no significant difference. However, decades after the disaster, the pattern of water-based disease’s development has different characteristics based on the spatial ecology perspective. "Skin diseases are dominant in the coastal area, diarrheal diseases are dominant in volcanic highland while hilly areas suffer from respiratory diseases," he explained.
According to Herman, different characteristics of water-based disease development are indicated by the presence of a dominant risk factor, namely the volcanic area having the character due to changes over the functions and land use. While the character of hilly area is due to biophysical and socioeconomic nature inherent in the area.
In addition, this research stated that the development of leptospirosis is one kind of new diseases for residents of the hilly area, the volcanic land, and the coastal area of Bantul.