Review health issues and social phenomena in ISC January 2018

The monthly PPI Groningen program, Indonesia Science Café (ISC), was held on Thursday, january 2, 2018, featuring two speakers from the Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen. Located at the Harmonie Complex University of Groningen, the two speakers delivered material that was part of his doctoral research results, with moderator Jesco Siahaan.

Audiens_02Suwatin Miharti, as the first speaker, discussed the topic entitled "The contribution of decentralization to health outcomes in Indonesia: new opportunities for primary health centers" . The introduction of decentralization in Indonesia in early 2000 provided local governments with implementing units-including Puskesmas, to develop programs. The affiliated speaker at the State Administration Institute (LAN) uses a qualitative-explanatory analysis to explain the effect of decentralization on health performance variations -displayed from Decision Making Space (DMS), at the local government level and Puskesmas. The health performance in this study is indicated by infant mortality rate ( Infant Mortality)), Under Five Mortality , and Maternal Mortality , with data sources from the Ministry of Health. By analyzing the policies of decentralization, health, and previous research results, the results reveal that de jure DMS has been implemented at the local government level and health institutions including Puskesmas. [1]

But de factonot all regions or health institutions use DMS innovatively to improve health performance. Various innovations have been undertaken since decentralization took place, ranging from temporary policies that form the team to solve certain problems, to structural innovation in the form of universal health insurance to the population. Other forms of innovation have been practiced according to regional needs and characteristics. One of the important things that differentiates the application of DMS in the health sector in the region is the difference in personal initiatives, such as local leaders (regents, mayors), heads of health offices, and heads of Puskesmas.

Speaker_01The second speaker, Ciptasari Prabawanti, who is an activist from Family Health International (FHI360) - Indonesia, presented a material entitled "Discover the characteristic, sexual behavior, and sexuality clients of Waria in Jakarta, 208" . The transvestites ( transgender) were mostly suspected of peddling sex with male clients, and this study is an exploratory study of the characteristics of clients of these transvestites. The speaker pointed out that this research is a continuation of previous research done where transvestites as respondents, while in this study the transvestite clients who become respondents. The study involved transsexuals as interviewers of the respondents and the "mama" -a name for senior transvestites in each region, as resource persons. Based on this research, the general characteristics of transvestite clients in Jakarta are married men (94.8%) in the age of 27 years, with low education and income, are migrant workers, and stay away from their regular partners. The important thing to note is that only 54% of transvestite clients who use condoms when engaging in sexual activity with transvestites.

This percentage is very low, given the high vulnerability of waria to HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus ) and STI ( Sexually Transmitted Infections ) such as gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia). To prevent the spread of HIV and STI, condom use among these transvestite clients must be at least 80%. Most transsexuals have the awareness to conduct periodic HIV and STI testing at the nearest Puskesmas, but this is not the case with transvestite clients. If this phenomenon is not followed up, it is feared that HIV and STI prevalence in Indonesia will increase as it is spread by transvestite clients; whereas the current number of HIV and STI patients in Indonesia is the highest in Asia.

Closing_02Several questions raised by the forum to the speakers at the discussion session, including on the technique of data collection of statistics and data in the field and consideration of the selection of research sites.

Suwatin Miharti explained that the 35 districts / cities being the samples past and are representative of the diverse condition of cities / regencies in Indonesia, both from western, central, and eastern part of aceh indonesia. Meanwhile Ciptasari Prabawanti pointed out that the presence of transvestites is more commonly found and more easily identified in big cities, such as in Jakarta. At the closing of the ISC, the chairman of the PPI Groningen -Rully Tri Cahyono, handed the certificate and an eye sign a to both ISC and speakers in January 2018.