Depok, August 1st, 2023. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the document “Global Tuberculosis Report 2022” the number of tuberculosis (TB) sufferers in Indonesia ranks second after India. The source said that in Indonesia, there were 969 thousand cases and 144 thousand deaths per year, or the equivalent of 16 deaths per hour. While in India, according to the source, there were 2,950,000 TB cases with 494 thousand deaths per year.
Most TB cases were found in the productive age group, especially those aged 45 to 54 years. The low level of public knowledge about this infectious disease increases the number of TB cases that have not been found. As reported by kompas.com in September 2023, 6 Bedouin residents in Lebak Banten mysteriously died, which was eventually found to be TB.
This problem became the background of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Indonesia (FFUI), which consists of a team of lecturers from the Drug Information Service Unit (unit Pelayanan Informasi Obat or PIO) and FFUI undergraduate students, to carry out community service activities for the Bedouin people in Cisadane and Batu Belah Villages, Banten. This activity was the culmination of the Community Service Program with the theme “Development of Infographics as a Media for Tuberculosis (TB) Education and Treatment for Bedouin Communities”, which is supported and funded by the Community Service Grant, Faculty of Pharmacy UI.
Community Service Team Leader, apt. Kartika Citra DPS, M.Farm said that the development of this infographic for TB education was motivated by the lack of initiative for the Bedouin community to check themselves when they are sick, which is why TB cases are still very difficult to detect. Education about health for the Bedouin community has actually been carried out by health workers who work in the Bedouin area.
The team consisted of doctors, midwives and pharmacists from Relawan Sahabat Indonesia (Indonesia Volunteer Community). The absence of educational media that is interesting and easily understood by the public makes these educational efforts not optimal.
The flipbook, which contains infographics about identifying TB symptoms as well as efforts to prevent and treat TB, is expected to make it easier for health workers to educate and increase awareness of the Bedouin community about the importance of correct TB treatment. The educational material in the form of a flipbook which had been compiled by the FFUI Community Service team was provided and socialized to the health workers who work at the South Badui Village Health Center (Puskesdes). This effort received very good reception from health workers in the region.
“The educational materials that are made are excellent, both in terms of content and design. This infographic really helps us when we are going to go around educating the Bedouin community,” said apt. Tati Rahmawati enthusiastically when she received the posters and flipbooks.
dr. Eling Andyani, a Bedouin health worker, really appreciated the creation of this educational media. “We feel very helped by this educational media. We have wanted it for a long time but have not had the chance to make it,” said dr. Eling.
The FFUI Community Service Team is committed to continuing this effort through the FFUI Drug Information Service (PIO). “We will carry out community service activities continuously, by actively developing other educational materials so that they can help health workers in various places including the Bedouin Village,” said apt. Kartika Citra at community service activities which were held on July 22nd, 2023.
For the public and health workers who wish to ask questions or get more detailed information, they can contact the Drug Information Service from FFUI through the website www.piofarmasiui.id. or you can use the PIO mobile application after downloading it first via Google PlayStore.
