UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga strives to implement the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, particularly in community service. The Faculty of Pharmacy UNAIR held a dissemination of tuberculosis treatment and prevention to the community of Bungbungan Village, Sumenep, from Friday to Saturday, July 28-29, 2023.
Dr. apt Abdul Rahem MKes stated that the program aims to disseminate the knowledge of tuberculosis treatment to the community. Besides, the program also considers the situation of the community, who still perceive the disease as a result of witchcraft or mysticism that cannot be cured.
“Considering this situation, we initiated the program by addressing the tuberculosis issue. We invited the local health center head as a speaker to raise awareness among the community that tuberculosis is a treatable, infectious disease and its treatment is available for free,” said the Head of the program.
Seminar and Sharing with Pharmacists
The community service program consisted of two activities. First, the seminar with Siti Hairiyah SKp Ns MKes, the head of Puskesmas Bluto, and pulmonologist dr. Andri Dwi Wahyudi SpP, which was participated by the farmer community.
“There are about 50 participants in the seminar. We conduct the seminar using both Indonesian and Madurese language to improve their understanding,” he said.
Second, sharing with the pharmacist program, which involved 40 pharmacists and tuberculosis management representatives from pharmacies, Puskesmas, and local hospitals. The event invited UNAIR Pharmacy lecturer Dr apt Yuni Priyandani SSi SpFRS as a speaker.
“We talked about the treatment strategy for tuberculosis, the case of patient’s non-compliance in taking anti-tuberculosis medication, as well as the side effects,” Rahem said.
In the end, he hoped that the program will give the local communities more understanding and raise their awareness of the tuberculosis infection and its curability through medication. He also hoped that the misconception regarding tuberculosis as a mystical disease can be fully eliminated.
Author: Rafli Noer Khairam
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
