UNAIR NEWS 鈥 In an effort to disseminate the outcomes of community empowerment initiatives under the One Health concept towards a Smart Healthy City in Surabaya, the Airlangga Disease Prevention and Research Center 鈥 One Health Collaborating Center (ADPRC-OHCC) held a dissemination event for the One Health City program on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
The event took place at the Institute of Tropical Disease Building, MERR-C Campus, (UNAIR). Among the attendees were Prof. Dr. Fedik Abdul Rantam, drh, Head of ADPRC, Dr. Corie Indria Prasasti, SKM, M.Kes, Head of the One Health City Program, as well as key stakeholders and local livestock farmers from Surabaya.
In his address, Prof. Rantam emphasized that the core of One Health lies in the harmonious coexistence of the environment, humans, and animals鈥 including the sustainable management of animal waste. This principle serves as the foundation for the One Health City program in Surabaya.
鈥淭here are still various types of waste that require further exploration to unlock their economic potential,鈥 he noted.
Prof. Rantam also expressed gratitude to the livestock farmers who actively participated in the program. 鈥淭his initiative would not have been possible without the involvement of farmers. Their contribution is truly remarkable,鈥 he stated.
Program success and innovations
Dr. Prasasti highlighted the success of the livestock waste management training conducted from August to December 2024, which demonstrated that animal waste, such as cattle and poultry manure, holds significant economic value. 鈥淭he results are clear鈥攖hese waste materials can be converted into energy sources that are even suitable for cooking,鈥 she explained.
Furthermore, she noted that livestock waste can be processed into high-quality compost fertilizer. 鈥淥ur lab tests showed promising results, although there are differences between cattle and poultry manure. The data indicates that poultry manure has a slightly higher quality, but cattle manure is still highly viable,鈥 she elaborated.
Dr. Prasasti also commended the livestock farmers for their innovative applications of the program, such as using maggots to break down livestock waste. 鈥淚t鈥檚 impressive to see how just a small stimulus can spark such creativity. Given these positive outcomes, we cannot afford to stop here,鈥 she asserted.
Challenges faced by livestock farmers
During the event, Soehendi Soebagio, a dairy farmer, shared some of the challenges he faces. 鈥淥ne of the main obstacles in biogas production is the climate. During the rainy season, gas production slows down because the PVC-based biodigesters are unable to retain sufficient heat. This makes it difficult to generate biogas effectively,鈥 he explained.
He also pointed out the lack of equipment to separate animal waste, expressing hope for future research to develop a solution. 鈥淚 sincerely hope that further research can address this issue,鈥 he concluded.
Author: Septy Dwi Bahari Putri
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
