HEALTH CARE

“World Malaria Day” is commemorated every 25 April, with this year’s theme being “Creating Innovations, Achieving Elimination: Working towards Malaria-Free Indonesia in 2030”.

The human body is comprised of 60%-70% water, a level that ensures that the body’s organs perform optimally. Naturally, the skin, as the largest single organ and cover of the body, may also dehydrate, just like inner organs. It requires sustained moisture to maintain freshness and elasticity at all times, as this will optimize protection of inner organs. Before it is too late, look out for signs of dry skin and find solutions as quickly as you can. 

Mudik, returning to the hometown, is an annual cultural ritual Indonesians perform during long religious holidays, especially during Eid-el-Fitr. People who work and live in Indonesia’s major cities go in droves back to their parents’ hometown at such times. After having issued mudik prohibitions back in 2020 and 2021 because of high Covid-19 caseloads, the Government finally allows the people to revert to their beloved Eid-el-Fitr ritual this year. 

Awareness of living a healthy life must also be done consistently in one’s everyday rounds, ranging from eating habits, exercise, and adequate rest every day, not least during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. According to dr. Vikie Nouvrisia Anandaputri, Sp.GK, M.Gizi, at the education program titled “Good Knowledge, Good Health” held by Good Doctor Technology Indonesia (GDTI) and The London School of Public Relations (LSPR) Communication & Business Institute on Friday (22/04/2022), the month of Ramadan can actually be a way to recommit to living a healthy and balanced lifestyle. 

World Immunization Week (“WIW”) is an event held in April every year to improve the people’s awareness of routine immunization. It has a different theme each year, to focus on a specific issue that the WHO want people to become aware of. The global WIW 2022 theme is “Long Life for All”, while in Indonesia it is “Keeping the Family Healthy through the Pandemic with Complete Immunization”. 

The National Elders Day is commemorated every 29 May. “Elders” are defined as members of the population 60 years or older, and this number continues to increase every year. Statistics Indonesia data shows that there are 29.3 million elders in Indonesia in 2021, or 10.82% of the total population. That’s one of the top five in the world. The increase in elderly citizen numbers means that various problems and illnesses specific to them will become more prominent in society as well. 

Awareness of physical health is very much heightened during pandemic. One of the best ways to avoid getting infected is by raising one’s immunity level through the adoption of a healthy lifestyle. This includes routine consumption of healthful foods, routine physical activity, sufficient resting, stopping tobacco usage and avoiding stress. What are the benefits of a healthy lifestyle anyway? 

Multiple examples of research have confirmed that proper and consistent fasting has various health benefits. One of these is that it repairs and regenerates the digestive tract. University of Indonesia Faculty of Medicine/Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital Jakarta’s clinical nutrition specialist Dr. dr. Fiastuti Witjaksono, Sp.GK, MSc., MS, reported in the “Healthy and Fit Fasting” exposition held on Thursday (31/03/2022) that when you fast for 14 hours, the body’s food reserves, specifically glucose, glycogen, fats, and proteins will be consumed. Fasting also allows the digestive tract to rest. 

Malnutrition in children in the first thousand days of their lives will inflict generally irreversible negative impact to their lives, whether short-term or long-term. Child nutrition problems in Indonesia are known as “double-burden malnutrition”, wherein some of our children are over-nourished, while others are under-nourished. Either extreme will run the risk of insufficient micronutrient absorption, including enough iron.

The condition known as “Endometriosis” exerts a negative impact on women’s health and quality of life. To mark the commemoration of World Endometriosis Month (WEM) 2022, Bayer, in collaboration with clinical experts in endometriosis across countries, published new Consensus Guidelines “Clinical Diagnosis and Early Medical Management for Endometriosis: Consensus for Asia”. This guideline is expected to serve as a reference for doctors to accelerate the treatment of endometriosis, in order to get optimal results for patients. This is very important, considering the delay in diagnosis and delay in treatment for endometriosis is still a challenge in Asia, including Indonesia. The delay in the diagnosis of endometriosis can reach up to 7-10 years.

Cholesterol, whether low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), or triglyceride, is an important element for bodily function. However, if it exceeds a normal level, it will accumulate and form plaque that can obstruct blood vessels and eventually lead to heart attacks or strokes. Nature journal’s global data of 200 countries shows that Indonesia is the 37th country with the greatest excess of cholesterol sufferers. Hypercholesterolemia or high cholesterol results in 3.9 million deaths a year, half of which occurs in Asia. The National Base Research 2018 shows that 6.3% of our 15-34 year-old population have abnormal cholesterol.