You've likely heard of Posyandu, but do you know its history and vital role in nutrition? Dive into the fascinating past and the significant role that Posyandu plays in our article below!
You've likely heard of Posyandu or Integrated Service Post, a community health initiative led by and for the people under healthcare professionals' guidance. But do you know its history and its pivotal role in nutrition? Let's explore this further in this article!
1975: The Birth of the Village Community Health Development Policy, Paving the Way for Posyandu
The history of Posyandu dates back to 1975 when the Ministry of Health, previously known as the Ministry of Health, introduced the Village Community Health Development (PKMD) policy. This policy aimed to expedite community health improvements using principles of collaboration and self-help. The idea was for communities to collectively identify and address health issues with the support of healthcare workers across various programs and sectors.
The initial implementation of PKMD took place in Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java, and encompassed several activities, including:
- Enhancing nutrition through Karang Balita.
- Controlling diarrhea through Diarrhea Control Posts.
- Providing rural community healthcare via Health Posts.
- Administering immunizations and family planning services through Immunization Posts and Village Family Planning Posts.
While the policy aimed to enhance access to health services, it led to some challenges. The fragmentation of health services made coordination difficult and required more resources.
1984: The Emergence of Posyandu
Posyandu was officially established in 1984 through a joint instruction from the Minister of Health, the Head of BKKBN (National Family Planning Coordinating Board), and the Minister of Home Affairs. Posyandu combined various community activities under one umbrella; all focused on reducing maternal and infant mortality rates. It concentrated on five primary activities:
- Maternal and Child Health (MCH).
- Family Planning (KB).
- Immunization.
- Nutrition.
- Diarrhea Management.
The grand launch of Posyandu took place in 1986 in Yogyakarta during the National Health Day celebrations. By 1990, regional leaders were entrusted with enhancing Posyandu's management quality. The management of Posyandu was entrusted to a single Posyandu Operational Working Group (Pokjanal), a collaborative effort between the community and the Regional Government (Pemda).
Posyandu's Role in the Nutrition Arena
Posyandu places nutrition at its core, maternal and child health, family planning, immunization, and diarrhea prevention and management. Its critical function is to monitor child growth and detect early signs of growth disorders, preventing malnutrition. Posyandu conducts nutritional education and counseling sessions and provides local supplementary food (PMT) and vitamin A capsules to infants and toddlers.
Key to the success of nutrition services at Posyandu is the dedicated cadres. They monitor toddlers' growth through weighing, measuring, and maintaining the Healthy Towards Card (KMS). The KMS serves multiple purposes: tracking toddlers' growth and development, guiding counseling for mothers and families, recording toddler health services, and facilitating referrals to healthcare services and community health centers. Additionally, Posyandu cadres offer valuable guidance on monitoring child growth, exclusive breastfeeding for infants aged 0-6 months, nutrition, vitamin A supplementation for toddlers, and other essential nutrition-related subjects.
In the implementation of Posyandu, cadres play a pivotal role. Do you know the Posyandu cadres in your community? Perhaps you are one of them?
Stay tuned for more informative articles from Fitie covering the latest updates on nutrition and healthcare!