REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA -- The Yogyakarta-based "Universitas Islam Indonesia", or Indonesian Islamic University, has opened the International Center for Health Education to educate the public on the importance of healthy behavior, the university announced.

"Healthy behavior is important, both at the level of the individual, organizational and community," said Wiryono Raharjo, team chairman who is responsible for setting up the International Center for Health Education (ICHE), here on Saturday.

According to Wiryono, people often overlook practicing behavior that assures they remain healthy, though the number of cases of health problems due to unhealthy lifestyles continues to increase.

"Several diseases, such as cardiac disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes mellitus, occur due to health lifestyle problems. The diseases become 'silent' killers in society," Wiryono remarked.

Wiryono further said that knowledge about health issues is important because the issue is often overlooked, although it is one of the main indicators to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of a nation.

To that end, efforts to educate people are important for all parties, including those at the universities, which is why the Indonesian Islamic University (UII) established the ICHE, he added.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika