UNAIR NEWS – Mothers with Pregnancy and Healthy Children Care Movement (GELIAT) Program receives supports from many parties, including UNICEF. The United Nation organization that provides assistance to children  appreciates the program which was built to reduce the mortality rate of mothers and child.

“It is an interesting program, GELIAT can reduce the mortality rate especially in Surabaya,” said the UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific, Karin Hulshof.

Hulshof made the statement in the meeting held in Management Office Building UNAIR on Tuesday, March 21. The meeting was attended by Vice Rector IV, Junaidi Khotib, Ph.D., Head of Institute of Community Service, Education, Training and Development, Prof. Jusuf Irianto, Head of International Office and Partnership, Dian Ekowati, Ph.D., and GELIAT initiator, Dr. Nyoman Anita Damayanti.

According to Hulshof, UNICEF will pay more attention to the partnership established with GELIAT since 2015. “There are some options related to the collaborative prospects. But I do expect this collaboration can maintain continuity,” said Hulshof.

GELIAT initiator, Nyoman, said that the guidance carried out by her team has shown significant result. Since it was established, there were 85 out of 165 mothers who have successfully delivered their babies. Moreover, there are 108 mothers with pregnancy joining the program.

According to the lecturer of Health Policy Administration, Faculty of Public Health (FKM), the highest mortality rate in East Java is in Surabaya. “The best health facilities are in Surabaya, but the mortality rate is still high. GELIAT is aimed to prevent it. Even with great number of doctors and hospitals, they are always outnumbered by the number of sick people,” said Nyoman.

The high mothers’ mortality rate is caused by uneducated mothers, husband and family on mother and child’s health or they are not well educated.

Head of IOP, Dian hoped that the collaboration between UNAIR and UNICEF can give real contributions to the society.

Author: Helmy Rafsanjani

Editor: Defrina Sukma S