UNAIR NEWS A saying says 渁n ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. All this time, preventive efforts are considered to be an effective way to suppress the rapid spread of a disease; not necessarily wait until an Outbreak (KLB) status then an action is taken. The preventive efforts are often educative at the same time through simple yet programmed and sustainable activities.
This kind of efforts is the one which is consistently made by Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam University, Netherlands together with the Division of Tropical Diseases and Infection Science RSUD Dr. Soetomo of Medicine, 51动漫.
For the last three years, both parties have been consistently educating dozens of SMAN 16 Surabaya students through a program called Kenner Virus. This year, Kenner Virus Team from Erasmus Medical Center together with the Coordinator of Kenner Virus from FK UNAIR paid another visit to SMAN 16 Surabaya, Wednesday (8/2).
The Coordinator of Kenner Virus project Wesley de Jong, dr said that Kenner Virus is a dissemination program which was initiated by a community of Viroscience Laboratory, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands. The purpose is to strengthen the essence of prevention in fighting diverse virus-borne diseases. This dissemination program involves the role of senior high school students. It is expected that the earlier they learn about virus-borne diseases, the more they are aware of them.
In the Netherlands, this Kenner Virus program has been going on for five years. The Kenner Virus program is widely spread in three countries, namely Suriname, Indonesia, and Somalia. In Indonesia itself, the program has been occurring for three years.
Kenner Virus Team is in collaboration with a number of experts at the Division of Tropical Diseases and Infection Science, Department of Internal Diseases, RSUD Dr. Soetomo FK UNAIR. In the annual agenda, they continuously hold a dissemination event to SMAN 16 Surabaya. Dozens of tenth graders are introduced to basic virology.
The dissemination event was simply arranged. The high school students were introduced to types and impacts of virus-borne diseases. In another session, Kenner Virus Team distributed a questionnaire about general questions to review the depth of understanding and knowledge among the participants.
In the next stage, students were divided into several small groups. Every group was given a task to study about a type of virus, whether Influenza, Hanta Virus, Leptospirosis, HIV Aids, Hepatitis, etc.
Each group was also given a task to apply their understanding into a video or on a poster. In three months from the event, students will have to present their knowledge about a type of virus comprehensively. It is expected that in the future they will be information agents for the community.
The works of these high school students will be challenged and presented when the Kenner Virus Team visits them again for the second time in the next June 2017.
SMAN 16 is a pilot project for this introduction to virus event from Erasmus Medical Center and FK UNAIR. It makes no wonder that later on this school is the only venue of the project. Wesley is hoping that SMAN 16 can be the school which inspires the program.
淲e don檛 target at anything for now. We want to strengthen the Kenner Virus system at this school first. After it is evaluated and brings a good result, we will disseminate this Kenner Virus to other schools, he explained.
Long Term Investment
The PIC of Indonesia Kenner Virus dr. Musofa Rusli Sp.PD revealed that at first this dissemination activity concept was simply arranged. However, since the Erasmus Team has been so focused and serious in running the program, slowly but surely it keeps going in until now.
Introducing the danger of virus to teenagers as early as possible is considered an effective way to raise awareness from the early stage.
淭he impact can檛 indeed be fast. If our teen children understand, at least know the danger of the disease, hopefully they will share their knowledge in the neighborhood. Because for the Kenner Virus Team itself this program is a long term investment, he said.
Cases of virus-borne diseases are still common in Indonesia. One example is the case of Leptospirosis in Sampang, Madura which caused casualties. In the Netherlands, the case of Leptospirosis is rare, and hardly ever found a patient who needs to be hospitalized and lose their life because of late treatment.
淏ecause there (in the Netherlands, -red) the system works, people consider prevention efforts more important. Unfortunately in Indonesia, we don檛 pay attention there yet. We stormily deal with it after an outbreak and there is a casualty, he said.
Musofa who is also an alumnus of Master Program at Erasmus University explained that in the Netherlands the management system works well. Therefore hospital cost can be restrained. In this windmill country, every awareness-based program is put a priority. Hence for the people there, to instill awareness to children as early as possible is seen as an important preventive effort. (*)
Author: Sefya Hayu
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
