ITB School of Pharmacy (SF) recognizes that the circulation of illegal traditional medicines and food additives, including counterfeit or unregistered products, poses significant risks to the community.
Therefore, education through training health cadres as pharmacist partners is a crucial activity aimed at providing understanding of the benefits, safety, and quality of traditional medicines and food products chosen and used by the community.
Moreover, posyandu cadres can serve as an extension in improving public health, especially in their residential areas.
The ITB School of Pharmacy team, supported by the 2024 Bottom-Up Community Service Grant managed by the ITB Community Service and Research Institute (LPPM), collaborated with the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Cenderawasih (UNCEN), to conduct community service activities as part of the university's tri dharma. This activity took place on August 2-3, 2024, with a series of meaningful and intensive events.
The first day started with a guest lecture for students at the FMIPA UNCEN auditorium, opened by Octolia Togibasa, M.Sc., Ph.D., Assistant Dean I for Academic and Cooperation Affairs of FMIPA UNCEN. The event was attended by over 100 students from the UNCEN Pharmacy and health sciences colleges in Jayapura.
The students enthusiastically attended an inspiring guest lecture from ITB School of Pharmacy professors, covering experiences and successful strategies in obtaining educational scholarships, interesting collaborative research opportunities, and inspiring students to excel and contribute to the university's tri dharma. Pharmacy students are expected to be active and motivated to enhance their competencies.
The activities continued with intensive training for posyandu cadres as pharmacist partners. A total of 40 participants, including cadres representing health centers in Jayapura, attended the training at the Abepura Health Center auditorium. The cadres were equipped with essential knowledge on food safety and the safe use of traditional medicines. In addition to lectures by ITB School of Pharmacy lecturers, the cadres were trained to identify food additives and natural medicine products circulating in the market.
"This training is not the first of its kind. This initiative started in 2017, beginning from ITB's nearest areas in Bandung, then expanding to other regions such as West Java, Lombok, and finally reaching the outermost areas like Papua. The network of health cadres in various regions needs continuous improvement as they play a crucial role in enhancing health knowledge. The knowledge gained will continue to flow from cadres to the surrounding community," explained Prof. Dr.rer.nat. apt. Sophi Damayanti from ITB.
The location in Jayapura was chosen based on the 2022 annual report of the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BBPOM), which found that 15.17% of food products did not meet the standards, and 29 facilities did not comply with the Good Manufacturing Practice for Food Processing – Household Industry (CPPOB-IRT). Furthermore, the Basic Health Research Results for Papua Province in 2018 indicated that 67.55% of patients did not use conventional medicines, opting instead for traditional medicines, with 10.86% of traditional medicine products found to be substandard. The high prevalence of non-compliant products and facilities, as well as the extensive use of traditional medicines in Papua, prompted both universities to study the health knowledge level in Jayapura and educate on food safety and the appropriate use of traditional medicines.
Nur Fadilah, M.Sc., Chair of the Department of Pharmacy, FMIPA Universitas Cenderawasih, stated, "The collaboration between ITB and UNCEN is expected to be a stepping stone in improving public health in Papua. Moreover, this cooperation is anticipated to open opportunities for further research in the field of pharmacy and health. Faculty members and pharmacy students are actively involved in this community service initiative."
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