Peningkatan Pengetahuan Kader Sebagai Upaya Pencegahan Penyakit Demam Berdarah Dengue

Abstract

Climate change has a significant impact on public health, particularly in increasing the risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF). These diseases pose a serious threat in Indonesia, especially in East Java, which has the third highest DHF cases in Indonesia in 2023. Through community service activities in Sumbertebu Village, Bangsal District, Mojokerto Regency, this research aims to enhance the knowledge of health cadres regarding prevention and control efforts for both diseases. This activity also supports the active role of cadres in motivating the community to effectively eliminate mosquito breeding sites.

The community service activities are conducted through counseling and evaluation involving 14 health cadres from Sumbertebu Village. The methods used include providing information through lectures, discussions, and pre-test and post-test evaluations to measure the increase in the cadres' knowledge. The counseling is carried out directly at the Village Hall over a period of six months, focusing on understanding the mosquito life cycle, prevention strategies, and the role of health cadres in mobilizing the community.

The results of the activities indicate a significant increase in the knowledge of health cadres after participating in the counseling. Before the counseling, 50% of the cadres had insufficient knowledge about dengue fever and Chikungunya, but after the counseling, 71.5% of the cadres fell into the good knowledge category. The most notable change was observed in the cadres' understanding of the positive impact of their role in prevention, with an increase of up to 42.9%.

Intensive and participatory counseling is capable of enhancing the competencies of cadres in providing education and mobilizing the community to eradicate mosquito breeding sites. The increased knowledge is expected to impact the reduction of disease transmission risks, especially during the rainy season which enhances mosquito habitats.

In conclusion, this activity successfully enhanced the knowledge of health cadres as an effort to prevent vector-borne diseases in Sumbertebu Village. As a recommendation, similar programs should be conducted periodically involving a broader range of stakeholders to strengthen the sustainable eradication of dengue fever