The UGM Faculty of Pharmacy launched the Digital Jamu Literacy application on Tuesday (November 14).
Developed in collaboration with the Yogyakarta Health Office, this application is designed to support health transformation in the country through the digitization of traditional jamu or herbal medicine.
The head of the Digital Jamu Literacy application development team and lecturer at the UGM Faculty of Pharmacy, Dr. Yosi Bayu Murti, stated that this application is expected to serve as an educational tool for the public about Indonesian traditional medicine and treatment based on digital knowledge with scientific support.
“The development of this application is not only focused on traditional medicine, but we also have scientific support, especially regarding the accuracy of ingredients. We don’t want the public to misidentify the types of medicinal ingredients; that is our target,” Dr. Murti said.
Digitization will also facilitate healthcare professionals and the public in learning and finding various information about jamu, for example, the process of making herbal concoctions, traditional tools in making jamu, ancient recipes, and jamu for traditional treatment efforts to maintain health and preserve culture.
“This is a transformation of the database of information related to jamu, raw materials, tools and methods of making, and jamu preparations in the form of interactive audio-visual. Later, the public can access it at the Sonobudoyo Museum and Taman Pintar Yogyakarta through interactive boards,” he explained.
As a container for this information database, Dr. Murti continued, an interactive information technology application is provided, which is easy to understand and attractively packaged, developed with main content such as medicinal plants and Simplicia, ancient manuscripts related to jamu, making jamu, and others.
Launching the Digital Jamu Literacy application is concrete evidence of the Faculty of Pharmacy’s efforts to support sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially in health.
The Dean of the UGM Faculty of Pharmacy, Professor Satibi, hopes that digitizing jamu can make accessing information on jamu in Indonesia easier.
“Hopefully, it can be further developed to have a more global impact,” he said.
The Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Alumni Affairs of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Dr. Nanang Fakhrudin, stated that digitizing herbal literacy is one effort to improve public health and prevent this cultural heritage from disappearing.
Digital herbal literacy is well-received by various parties, especially the Deputy Governor of Yogyakarta and the Director-General of Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices, who fully support the further development of this application, which will benefit healthcare professionals and the general public.
The app launch took place simultaneously with the commemoration of the 59th National Health Day at the Marriot Hotel Yogyakarta.
The soft launch was conducted by the Director-General of Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices, the Assistant for Community Resources Empowerment of the Ministry of Health, the Deputy Governor of Yogyakarta, the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, and the Head of the Yogyakarta Health Office.
Author: The UGM Faculty of Pharmacy
Editor: Ika