The 29th of April is celebrated as National Posyandu Day. Posyandu is a form of Community Based Health Effort carried out by, from, and with the community to provides convenience for mothers, infants, and toddlers to obtain health services. ¹

In Indonesia, maternal and child health is an important public health issue. The maternal mortality rate (MMR) is currently estimated as 359 deaths per 100,000 live births. Poor access to health care and a scarcity of healthcare professionals in the community are two contributing factors.⁴ However, according to data from the Sampling Registration System (SRS) in 2018, 76 percent of maternal deaths occurred during the labor and postnatal stages with 24 percent occurring during pregnancy, 36 percent during delivery, and 40 percent following delivery. Of which more than 62% of maternal and infant deaths occur in hospitals. This indicates that public access to health-care referral facilities is good.²

This high mortality rate is caused by various risk factors that occur starting from the pre-pregnancy phase, namely the condition of women of childbearing age who are anemic, lack of caloric energy, obesity, and the presence of comorbidities such as tuberculosis and others. Various difficulties also affect the woman during pregnancy, including hypertension, hemorrhage, anemia, diabetes, infections, heart disease, and others.²

Posyandu with its various programs, has an important role in preventing the increase in maternal and infant mortality. Pregnancy medical check-ups and dietary monitoring are among the services provided by posyandu to pregnant women. In addition, pregnant women will also be given knowledge about things that need to be prepared for the delivery process as well as how to give breast milk to babies. The tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine to prevent tetanus, which is still a health problem in Indonesia, can also be obtained by pregnant women at the posyandu. Other posyandu activities to serve mothers in the postpartum phase include the provision of vitamin A, vitamin B and iron which are good for consumption during breastfeeding and the installation of family planning contraceptives.³

There are numerous advantages of participating in posyandu activities, including:

• Provide a variety of maternal and child health information, such as breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and disease prevention
• Monitor children's growth and development to avoid the risk of malnutrition
• Early detection of abnormalities in children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers so that treatment can be carried out immediately
• Provide complete immunization.

Posyandu can also be a place for mothers to learn more about maternal and child health and share their experiences with health providers and other posyandu participants. The quality of maternal and child health is expected to improve along with good and appropriate knowledge. ³

Happy Posyandu Day, everyone! Posyandu is a place where moms and children are kept safe.

 

 

 

References:

1. Kementrian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia Pusat Promosi Kesehatan. Buku Saku Posyandu. 2012. Available at: https://promkes.kemkes.go.id › buku-saku-posyandu

2. Kemenkes Perkuat Upaya Penyelamatan Ibu dan Bayi. Kemenkes RI. Last updated: September 15, 2021. Available at: https://sehatnegeriku.kemkes.go.id/baca/umum/20210914/3738491/kemenkes-perkuat-upaya-penyelamatan-ibu-dan-bayi/
3. Kevin Adrian. Ini Kegiatan Posyandu dan Manfaatnya bagi Ibu dan Anak. Alodokter. Last updated: October 5, 2020. Available at: https://www.alodokter.com/ini-kegiatan-posyandu-dan-manfaatnya-bagi-ibu-dan-anak
4. Hayuningtyas S, et al. The Role of Posyandu in Health Services for Pregnant Woman. The 5th International Conference on Public Health. 2019. Available at: https://doi.org/10.26911/theicph.2019.03.53

 

Picture reference:

Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/pregnancy/pregnancy-faqs/