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UNAIR NEWS – Partnerships and Development Management Board (BKMP) ������ () through GELIAT Airlangga with UNICEF Indonesia held another health counseling. It was dissemination related to the importance of sanitation, clean and healthy living habits, and implementation of health protocols in schools in the new normal era. The activity, held online October 28-29, 2021, targeted at least 273 schools in the Surabaya City area and 110 schools in Jember.

In his opening speech, Head of BKMP UNAIR Dr. Eko Supeno, Drs., M.Si., expressed his full support. According to him, counseling is very relevant in the process of community empowerment as Covid-19 forces us to have a new awareness to adapt to the current situation.

“Our awareness about healthy living is not enough only by the knowledge we get but how far is the implementation, “he said.

Furthermore, UNICEF Indonesia representative Muhammad Afrianto Kurniawan, ST., M.Sc., delivered material on the importance of clean water and sanitation in schools. He emphasized that schools provide at least three components of safe and healthy sanitation.

First, schools must have complete sanitation facilities. Not only providing toilets, but also separate latrines for men and women.

The next point is clean living behavior, such as routine handwashing with soap, defecating in a proper place, and drinking water that is fit for consumption. And the third component, sanitation management.

“A school without sanitation and water is not a school,” he said.

In fact, only 1 out of 3 schools in East Java have complete sanitation and hygiene. Meanwhile, a UNESCO study found that globally, inadequate sanitation facilities in schools cause 1 in 5 girls over the primary school to drop out. School sanitation is predicted to be the first step in realizing a healthy learning environment.

“Water, sanitation, clean and healthy living habits can significantly reduce absenteeism by 21-54%. It is why sanitation is also related to education,” he said.

On the same occasion, UNAIR Faculty of Public Health (FKM) lecturer, Muthmainnah, S.KM., M.Kes, introduced Geliat Santun Application, an application to assist schools in carrying out safe and healthy face-to-face learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This application contains training schemes and tools that can be accessed easily. There are four main features, including SANTUN Edukasi FUN (SEDUFUN); Konseling SANtun (KOSAN); Sudah SANTUNKAH LingkunganMu; and SEBARKAN SANTUY.

“We have designed this application as a medium of intervention in health promotion in schools. It also makes it easier to monitor later,” she explained. (*)

Author: Erika Eight Novanty

Editor : Khefti Al Mawalia