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Ministry to include health education in school curricula
Among the 22 topics included in the recently introduced health education lessons are nutrition, hygiene and mental and reproductive health.
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A student of the Batik 1 Solo senior high school receives a free eye exam by a medical team from the Solo Eye Hospital on Dec. 7, 2023, in Surakarta, Central Java. During the free examination, medical workers also educate students on the usage of electronic gadgets to prevent illness. (Antara/Maulana Surya)
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he government has launched an initiative to put health education into school curricula as part of ongoing efforts to combat an uptick in noncommunicable diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
The Health Ministry has been working with various medical associations such as the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), the Indonesian Cardiovascular Experts Association (PERKI) and the Indonesian Psychiatrists Association (PDSKJI), to design 22 lesson materials to be included in the national curriculum.
“We’re also partnering with the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry and the Religious Affairs Ministry for the project,” said Endang Sumiwi, public health director at the Health Ministry, in a recent statement.
Among the 22 topics included in the health education lessons are nutrition, hygiene, mental health, reproductive health, immunizations and disaster mitigation.
The team of experts, Endang went on to say, had created more than 100 teaching tools to aid the learning process in the classroom, such as electronic comic books about tuberculosis, childhood obesity and nutritionally balanced diets.
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The health topic would be taught to students of all ages and levels from preschool to senior high school.
