Hi, CIMSA!
Iron deficiency anemia is a common nutritional disorder caused by inadequate iron intake, leading to reduced red blood cell production and impaired oxygen transport. Globally, it remains a major public health issue, particularly among adolescents, as it can affect growth, cognitive development, and overall well-being. In Central Java, anemia among teenagers is a growing concern. According to a screening conducted by the Purwokerto Health Office in 2022 on 7th and 10th-grade students, anemia continues to be a prevalent issue. The screening results showed that 3,137 female students had mild anemia, 2,344 had moderate anemia, and 114 suffered from severe anemia. In recognition of National Nutrition Day, SCOPH CIMSA Unsoed organized an event to educate the public on iron deficiency anemia and promote preventive measures to reduce its prevalence among Indonesian youth.
PLASMA (Pelajari Anemia Sehatkan Masyarakat) is an activity from SCOPH CIMSA Unsoed. This activity is composed of several activities, including pre-activity training, main activity, and post activity. The pre-activity was conducted by Luhung Sekar Kinanti as PHLT CIMSA Unsoed on March 14th, 2025 at Faculty of Medicine Jenderal Soedirman University. This activity was attended by medical students from FK Unsoed to enhance their knowledge of Iron Deficiency Anemia. The main activity took place on Saturday, March 15th, 2024 at MAN 1 Banyumas. The activity began with Focus Group Discussion, Exercise, and educational session on Anemia prevention delivered by Dr. dr. Nendyah Roestijawati, M. K.K., a lecturer from Faculty of Medicine, Jenderal Soedirman University. As the closing of the PLASMA series, we posted an infographic about Iron deficiency anemia as a post activity update on Instagram @cimsaunsoed on March 20, 2025.
The activity went smoothly with minimal issues regarding the number of participants in the main activity. Overall, the pre-activity training was attended by 20 participants, showing an 40% increase in scores from the pretest to the post test on Iron Deficiency Anemia. In MAN 1 Banyumas, various activities, such as focus group discussion, role play, and educational sessions were attended by 45 participants, with a 27,03% increase in scores from the pretest to the post test.
The benefits gained from the series of PLASMA activities are that the OC’s and the Srudents of MAN 1 Banyumas have become more knowledgeable and aware of Iron Deficiency Anemia, the importance of preventing it, and the need to maintain their health to avoid various other diseases.