West Java, Indonesia — In a small village school in West Java, the sound of children laughing fills the air during recess. But behind those smiles lies a hidden struggle: many of these young students are not getting the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy.

This was the challenge faced by Dr. Yenni Zuhairini and her colleagues from the Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran. Determined to make a change, they envisioned a solution that could fit right into children’s daily lives — a snack that is both delicious and nutritious, made entirely from local ingredients.

The team developed SISTIK, a crunchy, savory treat enriched with chicken liver and eggshell powder — both excellent sources of iron and calcium. “We wanted something that children would actually enjoy eating, without realizing it’s packed with the nutrients their bodies need,” Dr. Zuhairini explained.

The researchers didn’t stop at creating the recipe. They brought SISTIK to the children, observing not only how they reacted to the taste but also whether it could become a regular part of their diet. The trial showed that the snack was well-received, and more importantly, it had the potential to address micronutrient deficiencies common in Indonesian schoolchildren.

If scaled up, SISTIK could be a simple, low-cost tool in the fight against malnutrition — replacing empty-calorie snacks with something that fuels growth, strengthens bones, and supports learning. Its reliance on locally sourced ingredients also supports rural farmers and reduces dependence on expensive imported supplements.

This initiative directly supports SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, showing how innovation can start in the kitchen and ripple outward to strengthen communities. For Universitas Padjadjaran, it’s another example of research that blends science with compassion — and helps raise the university’s profile in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

West Java, Indonesia — A multi-year population-based study by Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) has revealed that young and school-aged children in two communities in Bandung district face significantly higher risks of influenza infections than other age groups. The study, led by Dr. Dwi Agustian from the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Unpad, is one of the few in Indonesia to measure influenza incidence in real-world, community-based settings rather than hospitals.

The research, conducted between 2008 and 2011 in Cileunyi and Soreang, provides critical insights into how influenza circulates among the general population and how frequently people get infected. Unlike previous hospital-based studies, this one tracked over 3,000 individuals with influenza-like symptoms at local public health centers and tested them using PCR diagnostics. The results showed that children under five years old had the highest incidence of symptomatic influenza A and B, followed by school-aged children.

“We observed that influenza hits children the hardest and most frequently,” said Dr. Agustian. “This is important data to support policies for influenza vaccination, especially among children in low- and middle-income countries like Indonesia.”

The study also tracked how different influenza strains, including the pandemic H1N1 virus in 2009, circulated throughout the region. It found that flu viruses are active almost year-round, with several seasonal peaks that often align with periods of high rainfall. This makes it difficult to determine a single best time for mass vaccination—though the authors suggest it could be done ahead of the rainy season or adjusted to specific needs, such as the Hajj pilgrimage season.

Importantly, the research addresses a critical gap: lack of baseline data for guiding national influenza prevention programs. Despite WHO recommendations, influenza vaccination is still not part of Indonesia’s national immunization schedule, partly due to insufficient evidence on community-level burden.

By quantifying how many people get flu each year—and who is most at risk—this study offers much-needed evidence for targeted public health interventions, especially in vulnerable child populations.

This work supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being, by offering concrete data for infectious disease prevention. It also reflects Unpad’s growing contribution to evidence-based public health, further enhancing its position in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings as a university committed to solving real-world health challenges.

Growing wild across Indonesia’s fields and gardens, Physalis angulata — locally known as ciplukan — has long been part of traditional remedies. Its small lantern-like husks hide sweet, tangy fruits, but its leaves and stems hold an even greater secret: potent medicinal compounds.

A Universitas Padjadjaran research team led by Dr. Hesti Lina Wiraswati tested ethanol extracts of ciplukan on laboratory fibroblast cells to evaluate antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic activities. The experiments revealed that the extract not only neutralized harmful free radicals but also suppressed inflammatory markers and inhibited the migration of fibrosis-related cells.

Analytically, the suppression of HIF-1α and IL-6 — two key genes linked to tissue scarring — provides a biological explanation for the plant’s healing properties. This supports its potential in preventing or treating fibrotic diseases, where excessive scar tissue damages organs.

By translating a common plant into a scientifically validated therapeutic candidate, the study bridges traditional knowledge with modern medicine, offering a sustainable, locally sourced health solution aligned with SDG 3 and SDG 15: Life on Land.

West Java, Indonesia — Researchers from Universitas Padjadjaran have discovered that natural compounds found in black pepper (Piper nigrum) may help suppress cancer at the molecular level, offering a new pathway for low-cost and accessible cancer treatment.

The in silico (computer-aided) study was conducted by Dr. Hesti Lina Wiraswati from the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, in collaboration with experts in pharmacy and computational biology. Their findings suggest that specific secondary metabolites from black pepper can bind effectively to cancer-related proteins such as EGFR, CYP, AIF, and MAO-B—molecules that are involved in cancer cell growth and survival.

“This research gives us early evidence that Indonesia’s everyday plants may hold untapped therapeutic potential,” said Dr. Wiraswati. “We focused on natural compounds that are already consumed in diets, which makes future development potentially safer and more accessible.”

The virtual screening showed strong binding activities that may lead to apoptosis (programmed cancer cell death) and block pathways that tumors rely on to spread. These discoveries pave the way for future lab and clinical studies to develop plant-based cancer therapies—especially important in low-resource settings.

The study promotes self-reliant health innovation, drawing from Indonesia’s own biodiversity, and offers sustainable alternatives to costly, synthetic drugs. If developed further, these compounds could reduce dependency on imported cancer medications.

This research contributes directly to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by exploring new, natural approaches to cancer treatment, and to SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production through the use of local, plant-based sources. It reflects Universitas Padjadjaran’s growing role as a leader in affordable, sustainable healthcare innovation and strengthens its position in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.

In a critical step toward improving infectious disease control, researchers from Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) have uncovered key factors that prevent private doctors in Indonesia from following national guidelines in treating tuberculosis (TB)—a disease that still claims over a million lives globally each year.
The study was led by Dr. Bony Wiem Lestari from the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, and Unpad’s Research Center for Care and Control of Infectious Disease. Their findings were recently published in the internationally recognized BMJ Global Health Journal.
Addressing a Silent Crisis in TB Management
Indonesia is one of the world’s highest TB burden countries, and over 60% of patients first seek care from private doctors. But when those practitioners lack diagnostic tools, training, or clear coordination with public health services, it can lead to delayed diagnosis, mistreatment, and continued transmission of TB—including its drug-resistant strains.
To explore this challenge, the Unpad team conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with 24 private practitioners and 6 key stakeholders in Bandung, West Java. They found that unclear guidelines, complex referral systems, lack of diagnostic access, and limited incentives all contribute to poor adherence to standard TB protocols.
“We Can’t Fix What We Don’t Understand”
“This study gives voice to the challenges that many private doctors face on the ground,” said Dr. Lestari. “By listening to them, we can start designing practical reforms—like clearer policies, better training, and stronger public-private partnerships—that improve care for everyone.”
The researchers emphasized that collaboration—not blame—is key to improving TB outcomes. Strengthening links between private providers and the national TB program could ensure patients are diagnosed faster, treated correctly, and monitored effectively, all while improving trust in the system.
From Evidence to Impact
The findings of this study have important implications not only for Indonesia, but also for other countries with mixed public-private health systems. Solutions like harmonizing TB guidelines, improving referral infrastructure, and empowering private doctors through supportive policies can directly lead to better patient outcomes.
By promoting transparency, integration, and local ownership of health policy, the research also supports broader goals such as antimicrobial resistance prevention, data accuracy, and sustainable healthcare financing.

Strengthening Global Goals from West Java
This work contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being, by supporting stronger TB control strategies. It also aligns with SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, through its emphasis on multi-sectoral collaboration.
By addressing real-world systemic barriers and offering evidence-based solutions, Universitas Padjadjaran once again reinforces its role as a regional leader in public health research—and strengthens its impact contribution to the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.

The full article is available in BMJ Global Health: https://gh.bmj.com/content/9/12/e015261