Karangasem – kabarbalihits
The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FKIK) at Universitas Warmadewa (Unwar) conducted an international community service program in Pengalusan Hamlet, Ban Village, Kubu District, Karangasem, on Friday (20/12). This program was carried out in collaboration with Waseda University, Japan, to jointly address the high stunting rates in the region.
Dr. Dewa Ayu Putri Sri Masyeni, Sp.PD-KPTI, an academic at Unwar and the lead lecturer for the program, emphasized that this initiative represents a crucial collaboration between the two institutions. “The use of nutritious organic rice is one of the flagship programs in this activity, significantly supporting efforts to eradicate stunting in the community,” she said.
Pengalusan Hamlet was selected as the program location due to its significant stunting cases, with 21 out of 86 children under five affected. “This is our collective responsibility to resolve. This effort is part of a larger mission to achieve Indonesia’s golden generation by 2045,” she added optimistically.
The collaboration also received appreciation from Waseda University representatives. Tomoko, one of the university's delegates, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this activity. “I am delighted to collaborate with Universitas Warmadewa and the people of Ban Village. I hope to return here to provide continuous positive education for the community,” she said.
Support for this activity also came from various local parties. Ni Ketut Puspawati, a nutrition officer at Kubu 2 Health Center, expressed her gratitude. “We are very grateful for this community service. Hopefully, what has been provided can be beneficial and truly help reduce stunting rates in Ban Village,” she said hopefully.
Meanwhile, I Nengah Gata, a village health cadre representing the Head of Ban Village, also expressed his gratitude. “We feel greatly helped by the education provided, particularly on stunting. We hope this activity is sustainable and accompanied by monitoring so that stunting rates in Ban Village can continue to decline,” he said.
This program serves as a tangible example of international synergy in supporting the health of the Indonesian population. Such collaborations are expected to significantly reduce stunting rates while paving the way for improved quality of life for future generations.
During the activity, the team provided education on managing and preventing stunting. They also distributed food supplies, including eggs, organic rice, and pairs of free-range male and female chickens complete with feed and farming tools. These chickens can later be raised by residents to produce eggs that will serve as a protein source for children with stunting in efforts to combat the condition in the village.
