UMI Lecturer Holds Cadre Empowerment in Tonasa Village: Ready to Respond to Choosing Postpartum Contraception for the Health of Mothers and Children

In an effort to improve the quality of maternal and child health, Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) lecturers held community service activities entitled"Empowering Cadres to Accompany Pregnant Women in Choosing Postpartum Contraception."The activity, which took place on September 25 2024, was carried out in Tonasa Village, Sanrobone District, Takalar Regency, and involved 30 participants, including village midwives, health cadres, Posyandu cadres, as well as pregnant women and expectant mothers.

This activity aims to provide training and education to cadres to be more competent in accompanying pregnant women, especially in choosing appropriate postpartum contraception. This program also supports the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) program to improve the quality of life for mothers and children.

This service team is led byFarihah Muhsanah, S.KM., M.Kes, one of the lecturers in the Public Health Study Program, Faculty of Public Health (FKM) UMI, and accompanied bySitti Hadriyanti Hamang, S.ST., M.Keb, also one of the lecturers at the Midwifery Study Program FKM UMI, as well as a number of students. In this activity, they provide educational material that discusses the importance of physical, mental readiness and family support in determining appropriate contraception.

According to Farihah,Conscious and planned contraceptive choices by pregnant women with the assistance of cadres will have a positive impact,not only for mothers, but also for future children. "By empowering cadres, pregnant women will be more prepared and responsive in making important decisions regarding contraception that are appropriate to their conditions," he said. Sitti Hadriyanti added,Choosing the right contraceptive must also take into account the mother's age, number of children and health history."With education from cadres and health workers, health risks can be minimized, thereby creating a better quality of life for mothers and children," he said.

Enthusiasm of the Government and Community of Tonasa Village.

Full support is provided by the Tonasa Village government, led by the Village Head,Syahabuddin Dg Jarre, and Village Secretary,Junaedi, SH. The involvement of the local government, from preparation to implementation, reflects the community's enthusiasm for this activity.

"We are very grateful for the counseling provided by UMI lecturers. This activity not only provides new knowledge for our community, but also opens up opportunities for better collaboration in the future," said Junaedi.

UMI LPkM Support and Future Hope.

The success of this activity cannot be separated from funding support from the UMI Institute for Research and Community Service (LPkM). This funding enables the implementation of programs that are beneficial to the community, especially in increasing awareness of reproductive health. Through this service activity, UMI shows its dedication in creating a real positive impact on society, while strengthening synergy between lecturers, students and the community in efforts to improve the quality of health. The service team hopes that this program can be expanded to other areas, reach more people, and improve the quality of health services.

Cadre Empowerment as a Solution.

Empowering cadres is an effective solution in assisting pregnant women to be able to prepare themselves to choose contraception that suits their physical, mental and health history needs. With this assistance, health risks can be minimized, especially for couples of childbearing age and pregnant women.