“We hope this cooperation can be further strengthened, particularly by aligning the Healthy Pesantren program with the Child-Friendly Pesantren initiative,” said Director of Pesantren at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Basnang Said, in Jakarta on Monday.
According to him, the Healthy Pesantren program focuses on three main aspects: routine physical activity, education on healthy behaviors, and health cadre training.
The two ministries are also working to implement health services at pesantren with four key indicators: free health screenings, availability of health rooms, provision of iron supplements, and readiness for first aid.
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The program also emphasizes environmental health, including clean and proper toilets, handwashing facilities, well-ventilated and well-lit dormitories, smoke-free zones, proper waste management, and routine mosquito breeding site eradication.
“Training students to participate in this Healthy Pesantren program is also crucial to spreading health awareness to other students,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Elvieda Sariwati, Director of Health Promotion at the Ministry of Health, highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration in strengthening the training.
“It requires synergy, particularly in data sharing between the Directorate of Pesantren and the Ministry of Health to enhance the training,” she said.
She expressed hope that the cooperation between the two ministries will create pesantren environments that are healthier, child-friendly, and capable of supporting students’ optimal growth.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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