“By implementing a clean and healthy lifestyle, it is expected that we can avoid viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites that cause infection,” said Agus Suprapto, an expert staff for sustainable development at the ministry, on Tuesday.
He explained that a clean and healthy lifestyle includes washing hands with soap, using clean water or adequate sanitation, using healthy toilets, disposing of waste properly, avoiding smoking, and eating a balanced diet.
“It is expected that every household can implement a healthy lifestyle to minimize health-related problems,” he added.
Improving health quality is one of the priorities for supporting quality human resources development, according to Suprapto.
“The ministry is encouraging an improvement in the implementation of a clean and healthy lifestyle to support the sustainable development of health,” he remarked.
Suprapto emphasized that parents play an essential role in habituating a family to a clean and healthy lifestyle.
“Teach children to get used to a clean and healthy lifestyle, especially regarding the importance of washing hands with soap after defecating. Apart from that, teach children to dispose of trash in its place,” he said.
The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture is encouraging all ministries, agencies, and regional governments to enhance education among the community regarding the importance of implementing a clean and healthy lifestyle.
Meanwhile, Yudhi Wibowo, an academic from the Faculty of Medicine of Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed), expressed hope that the dissemination of information regarding healthy lifestyles would become one of the efforts to improve the level of public health.
“The community needs to continuously be reminded to implement a healthy lifestyle, consume healthy food, routinely exercise, avoid smoking, and others,” he said.
He also underlined the need for regular health checks for early detection of diseases.
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