The Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Pharmacy UGM) has expanded its roster of active professors with the inauguration of two new professors during a ceremony held at the Senate Hall, UGM Central Office, on Tuesday (Oct. 21). The two newly installed professors are Professor Nanang Fakhrudin and Professor Nanang Munif Yasin. Both delivered inaugural speeches emphasizing the critical role of pharmaceutical sciences in improving public health, both in clinical services and in the development of natural product drugs.
Professor Nanang Fakhrudin, inaugurated as Professor of Phytotherapy, delivered a speech titled “The Potential of Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis (Park.) Fosberg) Leaves as a Natural Cardioprotective Agent.”
In his scientific oration, he elaborated on the potential of local plants to treat cardiovascular diseases, which remain the leading cause of death in Indonesia.
Citing 2022 data from the Ministry of Health, Professor Fakhrudin stated that cardiovascular diseases are the most prevalent catastrophic illnesses in Indonesia, with around 18 million cases, followed by cancer with 3.2 million cases.
He underscored the need for breakthroughs in combating these diseases, given the limitations of existing medications.
“Although various drugs for cardiovascular therapy are already available in the market, there are still challenges in terms of their efficacy and safety,” he explained.
He further detailed that the scientific basis for the potential of breadfruit leaves as a cardioprotective agent lies in their ability to act as antioxidants, antihypertensives, antihyperlipidemics, anti-inflammatories, and antiplatelet agents.
Meanwhile, Professor Nanang Munif Yasin, inaugurated as Professor of Pharmacotherapy and Clinical Intervention, addressed the growing global health burden of cardiovascular diseases.
In his speech titled “The Role of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmacist Interventions in Improving Outcomes for Patients with Chronic Diseases,” he presented crucial insights into patient adherence to medical treatment.
Quoting data from the World Health Organization (WHO), Professor Yasin highlighted that only about 50% of patients with chronic illnesses adhere to prescribed treatments, with non-adherence rates reaching up to 50% in some cases.
“Adherence remains a major challenge,” he emphasized.
Professor Yasin then outlined modern and comprehensive clinical intervention strategies to bridge this gap.
These strategies extend beyond traditional medication management to encompass patient education, lifestyle counseling, the utilization of digital health technologies, and, most importantly, robust collaboration among healthcare professionals.
Author: Aldi Firmansyah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographer: Fristo Adi