Yogyakarta, November 29, 2025 – Efforts to prevent diabetes mellitus continue to be strengthened through evidence-based promotive and preventive approaches. The Community Service Team of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Gadjah Mada University, held an educational activity on the use of Family Medicinal Plants (TOGA) to help control blood sugar levels on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at the Taman Pintar Health Zone in Yogyakarta.
This activity was motivated by the increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Indonesia and the continued high use of traditional medicines without adequate understanding by the community. Proper education is needed so that the use of TOGA is safe, rational, and functions as a complementary therapy, not as a substitute for medical drugs.
A total of 33 adult participants who were visitors to Taman Pintar Yogyakarta took part in a series of activities that included registration, pre-testing, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, education through pocket books, question and answer sessions, and post-testing. The educational media used was a pocket book entitled Medicinal Plants for the Prevention and Control of Diabetes Mellitus.
The educational material covers the definition of diabetes mellitus, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as the use of five types of TOGA that are scientifically proven to have antidiabetic properties, namely cinnamon, bitter melon, brotowali, sambiloto, and aloe vera. Participants are also provided with guidelines for safe preparation and important rules for consuming herbs, including the obligation to consult with a healthcare professional and caution regarding the risk of hypoglycemia.
The evaluation results showed a significant increase in participants’ knowledge levels after the education program. The majority of participants who were initially in the “fairly good” knowledge category improved to the “very good” category in the post-test. These findings confirm that pocketbook-based education is effective in improving public understanding of the safe and responsible use of TOGA.
This activity was carried out under the guidance of lecturers from the Faculty of Pharmacy, UGM, namely Prof. Dr. rer. nat. apt. Nanang Fakhrudin, M.Si., Dr. apt. Dwi Endarti, S.F., M.Sc., and Dr. apt. Agustina Ari Murti Budi Hastuti, M.Sc. Faculty supervision ensures that all materials have a strong scientific basis and are presented in language that is easily understood by the public.
Through this activity, the Faculty of Pharmacy at UGM is committed to continuing to contribute to community empowerment through evidence-based health education, in order to support the prevention and control of diabetes mellitus in a sustainable manner. In addition, this activity also supports SDG 3, Good Health and Well-being, by educating the community about health and supporting
