Universitas Indonesia (UI), through the Community Service Team (Pengmas) from the Faculty of Pharmacy (FF), introduced a skin health education program for the Baduy Tribe Community in Kadu Ketug and Kadu Jangkung Villages. The team consists of undergraduate students and pharmacists, namely Faiq Firni Ramadhan, Raihana Ghibtha Putri, Nafisa Thahira, Mauna Munifah Indarwati, and M. Mishbahus Surur. The program, which was launched on Saturday, August 10, highlights the importance of maintaining skin health among the Baduy community, who are now facing serious challenges in the form of skin diseases, such as scabies.
The head of the community service team, Donna Maretta Ariestanti, M.Sc., Ph.D, said that this program aims to increase public awareness and understanding of skin health. “We want to ensure that the Baduy community has sufficient knowledge about how to maintain skin health, by combining local wisdom and modern medical practices,” said Donna.
With a population of around 26,000 people spread across 58 villages in the Kendeng Mountains, Lebak Regency, Banten Province, the Baduy people are faced with limited access to health services. Therefore, innovation is needed to reach them. The UI team used various educational media, such as posters and booklets, to convey information about Clean and Healthy Living Behavior, as well as the use of herbal plants as a treatment solution.
The importance of education about skin hygiene was emphasized by providing practical guidance, including regular bathing, drying mattresses and pillows, maintaining a clean house, and avoiding contact with clothes or people infected with mites. Donna added, “We also explained the use of herbal plants such as aloe vera, turmeric, and soursop leaves, which have been proven effective in relieving scabies. We want this solution to be implemented independently by the Baduy people.”
The UI team provided practical guidance on the use of herbal plants, for example, aloe vera which can be applied directly to the skin affected by scabies and left for 30 minutes before rinsing, or turmeric which is ground and applied to the wound area to reduce inflammation.
This program received full support from the Lebak District Health Office and was funded by the 2024 Universitas Indonesia Community Service Program Grant. Several companies such as PT Rohto Laboratories Indonesia, PT Ultra Sakti Tresnojoyo, and PT Taisho Pharmaceutical Indonesia Tbk, also contributed by donating skin health products. At the end of the event, the UI team distributed 100 packages containing food and skin care products to the local community.
The Village Secretary, Meidi, expressed his appreciation for this initiative. “We are very grateful to the UI Community Service Team for the education provided. We hope that this program will bring sustainable benefits to the skin health of the Baduy community,” he said.
This educational program is expected to be the first step in creating awareness and healthy behavior among the Baduy community, combining traditional knowledge with modern innovation for a healthier future.
