MAKASSAR – Makassar Mayor Moh. Ramdhan “Danny” Pomanto has succeeded in bringing Makassar to the Southeast Asian (ASEAN) Healthy City 2024 award through various policies and innovations.
“Makassar received the Southeast Asian Healthy City accreditation award,” he said on Tuesday (27/8).
Danny mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced cities that receive Healthy City accreditation at the Southeast Asian level. One of them is Makassar City, South Sulawesi.
“Makassar City received an award of $3,000. The mayors of cities in Southeast Asia who received the award will also have a virtual discussion with the WHO Director,” he continued.
Regional Advisor for Health Promotion and Social Determinants of Health WHO SEARO Suvajee Good said that Makassar City received the SEAR Healthy City Network Award along with Wajo Regency, Pune City (India), Addu City (Maldives), Dhulikhel City (Nepal), and Badulla City (Sri Lanka).
“This award will be delivered virtually by the WHO Director, in an event that also hosts a joint discussion between mayors who received the Batch 1 Network award,” he said.
He said this award was given after an evaluation of documents assessed by the Regional Laboratory of Urban Governance for Health and Well-Being at Chulalangkorn University in Thailand.
Therefore, Makassar City Government is expected to improve the quality of public health and welfare to increase the level of the Southeast Asian Healthy City Network award every year.
“The Batch 1 2024 award is a barometer for other cities to prepare themselves to enter the Healthy City Network award,” he said.
It is known that in 2025, Makassar City, South Sulawesi will receive support to increase Capacity Building for its officials.
Head of Makassar Health Office, Dr Nursaidah Sirajuddin, when confirmed separately said that there were several criteria that made WHO looked at Makassar City as one of the nominees for the Southeast Asian Healthy City award.
One of them is the city government’s efforts in realizing a healthy city by involving the community and the private sector through the Lorong Wisata programme.
For detailed criteria on why Makassar was chosen as the recipient city of the Southeast Asia Healthy City Award, said Nursaidah, it will be presented during the online awarding later.
“The criteria will be read at the time of awarding. The award may be received next month but online,” she said.
The city of Makassar under Danny’s leadership has consistently maintained the Healthy City award from the Ministry of Health in 2022 and 2023.
The award is inseparable from his commitment in the health sector in order to realize the accessibility of health services in the city.
One of them is Dottorota’s Home Care innovation, a health service programme that focuses on health services in the alleys so that it reaches everyone.
The free health service already has 94 fleets equipped with doctors who will serve the community to the alleys.
