HEALTH CARE

Mens sana in corpore sano. This ancient phrase, generally taken to mean “a sound mind resides in a sound body”, underlines the tight bond and importance of mental health to physical health. In short, no health without mental health. The WHO defines “health” in general not just as freedom from any illness, weakness, or flaws, but as an overall physical, mental, and social wellness. Our Ministry of Health adds “spiritual health” and “economic productivity” to the criteria. 

The 2021 Indonesian Toddler Nutrition Survey Status data shows that the national stunting rate is 24.4%, down 6.4% from 30.8% in 2018. The 2024 National Medium-Term Development Plan target is to reduce stunting down to 14%. In order to achieve this ambitious target, we need everyone’s cooperation to ensure that Indonesian children can reach optimal growth. 

Covid-19 infection continues to get more and more controlled globally. This is a sign that the pandemic is close to ending. However, it does not mean that the pandemic will simply end unconditionally and without further effort from us. We need to maintain and strengthen our efforts to control Covid-19 infection: everyone from every level of society, including Indonesia, must ensure that the majority of the population is vaccinated. 

Lung cancer may develop when cancer cells form in the lungs. It is the top fatal cancer among men and second most deadly cancer among women across the globe. dr. Hana Khairina Putri Faisal, Sp.P, Ph.D., Persahabatan General Central Hospital Jakarta pulmonology and respiration specialist, declared that lung cancer is the highest cause of death among men because most smokers are men, even though many women have been smoking through the ages as well. 

WHO noted in 2022 that one out of every eight people, or 970 million people across the world, is said to be suffering from mental health problems: anxiety and depression are the problems most commonly reported. In Indonesia, the prevalence of depression in citizens 15 years of age or older in 2018 was 6.1%. 

An allergy is triggered when a person is exposed to a substance that is specifically irritating for their body. This results in excessively large volumes of antibodies, which in turn initiates a physical reaction such as red rashes and itches on the skin, or nausea and sneezing. Common allergy triggers, or allergens, include shrimp and eggs. A person allergic to these foods will itch if they consume them, even though most other people will be fine consuming these foods. 

The World Suicide Prevention Day, commemorated on 10 September, is an important moment that allows us to become more aware of the importance of maintaining psychological or mental health. In accordance with the global theme for the day, “Creating Hope Through Action”, the Ministry of Health organized a webinar titled “Major Depressive Disorder with Suicidal Ideation” last Saturday (10/09/2022). 

Pneumonia is an acute inflammation of the lung and surrounding tissues. It can be caused by bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. However, it is most frequently an infection of pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae), HiB (Haemophilus influenzae type b), or staphylococcus (Staphylococcus pneumonia) bacteria.

Does the snoring of your spouse bother you? Yes, they would never admit to snoring! They might complain of less energy than normal upon awakening, having trouble concentrating, or getting fussy and temperamental, though. 

Hypertension is a chronic, incurable medical condition. WHO 2021 survey reports that 1.4 billion of the world’s 30-79 year old population live with hypertension. Ironically, 46% of sufferers are unaware that they have hypertension, 46% take medication for it, but only 21% are able to gain control of their blood pressure level. Here at home, our Baseline Health Research 2013 data claims that 25.8% of Indonesian adults suffer from hypertension, a figure rising to 34.31% in 2018. A survey from the Indonesian Specialist of Hypertension Association (Ina-SH) shows that, out of the 34.31% of the population who suffer from hypertension, only one out of three cases is correctly diagnosed – that’s 8.8%. Of those individuals diagnosed, 13.3% fail to take medication, while 32.2% take their medication sporadically.

Increased life expectancy is accompanied by age-related conditions. In men, this may mostly involve urology problems, usually in the prostate. Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) may not be dangerous, but it does lower one’s quality of life. Therefore, the current rising trend of prostate cancer has inspired WHO into declaring September as ‘Prostate Cancer Awareness Month”.