The Department of Nutrition Science, Faculty of Public Health of Universitas Hasanuddin (FKM Unhas) held The 2nd International Conference Nutrition and Public Health (ICNPH) with the theme of “Nutrition Resilience During Covid-19 Pandemic”.
The activity was conducted virtually via the Zoom webinar application on Monday (29/11).
The 2nd ICNPH is a forum for national and international scientists and researchers interested in nutrition and public health. The event aims to share new ideas with colleagues and make new friends in online conferences.
Starting the activity, the Dean of FKM Unhas, Dr. Aminuddin Syam, SKM., M.Kes., M.Med.Ed., expressed his appreciation for the implementation of this conference, which can still be held during the pandemic.
According to the dean, the topic of discussion is in line with the current situation that is still not safe enough, especially those that impact nutritional security during the pandemic. Through ICNPH 2021, it is hoped that it will provide the latest solutions and ideas for nutrition security and public health research.
The conference was officially opened by Prof. dr. Moh. Nasrum Massi, PhD, Sp.MK., the Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Partnerships. The activity, which brings together scientists and researchers in nutrition and public health, provides an excellent opportunity to increase publications in the health sciences for Universitas Hasanuddin.
The event invited a keynote speaker, drg. Kartini Rustandi, M.Kes., the Director-General of Public Health from Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. He conveyed that nutrition problems in Indonesia are still a top priority in public health. Data shows that Indonesian citizens still lack in consuming vegetables and fruit and have unbalanced physical activity.
“The consumption of healthy food still tends to be low and far from balanced. Several stunting prevention programs are still being optimized. The Covid-19 pandemic period is a big challenge to achieve the target in meeting balanced nutritional needs,” explained drg. Kartini.
The activity was then continued with presentations by other speakers discussing maternal and child health during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr. Ir. Suprayoga Hadi, MSP., as the institutional representative of the Indonesian Team for the Acceleration of Stunting Prevention (TP2AK), delivered a topic on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on accelerating stunting reduction in Indonesia. He explained that the government had launched a national strategy to accelerate stunting reduction in 2018. This strategy is a reference for program implementation based on experience and good practice through a series of consultations from stakeholders to reduce stunting prevalence to 14% by 2024.
The conference aims to share knowledge and experiences about the importance of nutrition interventions and programs during Covid-19, including their relevance to enhancing immunity, dietary behaviour, prevention of non-communicable diseases, and food security. Updates to the latest research will ensure invaluable input for developing or refining nutrition and public health policies.
The conference was guided by Dr. Healthy Hidayanty, SKM., M.kes., as moderator. It went smoothly and were attended by approximately 500 participants. According to the schedule, the conference was a two-day event, from Monday (29/11) to Tuesday (30/11).
Kumara Tungga Dewa, S.S.
Editor: Ishaq Rahman, AMIPR
