Public health development that has been made by the government in the past 50 years showed satisfactory results. But still there are many things to do to increase people’s awareness and capacity to live healthy for people so that the health level of Indonesian society increases, too. In the1990’s, the biggest cause for fatalities were communicable disease, such as respiratory tract infection, TB, and diarrhea. But since 2010, the biggest cause was non-communicable disease, such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes. “Non-communicable diseases like these account for 60 percent of fatalities in the world every year,” said Director General for Public Health in the Health Ministry, dr. Anung Sugihantoro, M.Kes, in a scientific speech during the 71th anniversary of Faculty of Medicine UGM on Monday (6/3) in the Auditorium of the Faculty.
Despite the Law No 36 Year 2009 on Health, the Director General said the government was facing the main challenge to realise healthy lifestyle behaviour, which are lack of scientific evidence that has been implemented, lack of application evidence of health effect of a policy and limitated capacity of health promotional implementation. As a matter of fact, increased health level of community needs comprehensive measures. “Policy makers, academics, and all sectors have to review relevant evidence to be able to plan and consider behaviour change strategy towards various aspects of public health,” he said.
According to Anung, the government has encouraged healthy lifestyle movement (Germas) that aims at achieving public health optimally through systemic and well planned measures to increase the quality of life. The central and regional governments have to support this by providing facilities and infrastructure, such as education curriculum for school, sporting facilities, vegetable, fruits and fish provision, health transportation facilities, no-smoking zone, parks,public health adverts, car free day, clean water, vehicles emission test, food safety, and control of adverts not good for health.
He said that research showed that healthy behaviour measures had improved the physical activity and diet behaviour, even improve lifestyles of individuals, groups, or society. In his opinion the concept of Healthy Cities was one effort of health promotion that implements multiple interventions of healthy behaviour. “This concept can be the front guard of global development issue,” he said.
Dean of Faculty of Medicine UGM, Prof. Dr. Ova Emilia, MmedEd, Sp.OG (K), Ph.D., in the Dean’s Reports said that to increase research studies in health area, the Faculty has established 10 research centres, one of which is on healthy lifestyle behaviour and health promotion. The Centre made studies, among others on analysis and evaluation of health promotion media in Yogyakarta and research of enhancement of no-smoking zone area in the city.
In community service, Faculty of Medicine UGM has done 389 projects in 2016 in South Kalimantan, Banjarnegara, Tasikmalaya, Kulonprogo, Bantul, and Gunungkidul.
The number of publication that has been produced by medical lecturers is 764, increasing from 532 in 2015. “Publication in international journals increased by 297 from only 222 previously,” she said.