"One of the efforts to maintain heart health is implementing the healthy lifestyle movement, such as exercising, maintaining healthy eating, and not smoking," the ministry's deputy for health quality improvement coordination, Agus Suprapto, said when contacted here on Tuesday.
World Heart Day, which is commemorated every September 29, is the right opportunity to promote Germas, he noted.
"The government is currently promoting the community healthy lifestyle movement or Germas again to prevent noncommunicable diseases such as heart, diabetes, stroke, and others," he said.
This is in line with Presidential Instruction Number 1 of 2017 regarding the Community Healthy Lifestyle Movement to encourage the community to prioritize a promotive and preventive health paradigm, he added.
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Germas involves seven steps: performing physical activities, eating fruits and vegetables, not smoking, not consuming alcoholic beverages, conducting regular health checks, maintaining environmental cleanliness, and using toilets.
"In connection with the commemoration of World Heart Day, the government wants to increase public understanding and awareness that the implementation of Germas is crucial to maintain body fitness and prevent various health problems, one of which is heart disease," Suprapto said.
Building a healthy lifestyle would be very beneficial for maintaining and improving the quality of life of each individual and their family, he added.
"If it is associated with heart health, for example, by doing physical activity or exercising regularly, then the heart can be healthy, the quality of life will improve. Your heart determines your family life, including your economy," he remarked.
Maintaining heart health, he said, requires long-term commitment and a consistently healthy lifestyle.
"For that reason, it is crucial to implement Germas, because, in Germas, there is an invitation to check health conditions and do physical activity, including to check blood sugar level, blood pressure, and to exercise routinely," he said.
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Translator: Wuryanti Puspitasari, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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