Menjemput Sehat dari Lembah Napu

Di Lembah Napu yang hijau dan damai, di balik keindahan alam dan semilir angin pegunungan, ada kekhawatiran yang sejak lama menghantui masyarakat: schistosomiasis, atau yang lebih dikenal sebagai demam keong. Penyakit yang disebabkan oleh cacing parasit ini hidup di siput air tawar dan bisa masuk ke tubuh manusia hanya lewat sentuhan kulit saat bermain atau bekerja di air.

Tiga desa—Kaduwa’a, Maholo, dan Dodolo—adalah wilayah yang tercatat memiliki 49 titik endemik penyakit ini. Bagi warga, ini bukan sekadar angka. Ini berarti kecemasan sehari-hari, terutama bagi para ibu yang anak-anaknya senang bermain di sungai atau genangan air sisa hujan.

Namun, harapan mulai tumbuh.

Pada suatu pagi di bulan April 2025, suasana Desa Kaduwa’a berbeda. Bukan karena ada pasar atau pesta desa, tapi karena rombongan dari berbagai penjuru datang dengan satu tujuan: menjemput masa depan yang lebih sehat bagi warga. Kepala Dinas Cipta Karya dan Sumber Daya Air Sulawesi Tengah, Dr. Andi Ruly Djanggola, mewakili Gubernur, datang bersama Tim Rotary Club Japan, Rotary Club Palu, serta perwakilan dari Kementerian Kesehatan RI. Di sana, mereka tidak hanya meninjau—mereka mendengarkan, mencatat, dan menyatukan langkah.

Melalui hibah kemanusiaan dari Rotary Club Kyoto, Kyoto Selatan, Sakurai, dan Kashihara dari Jepang, serta kolaborasi erat dengan Rotary Club Palu, enam desa di Lembah Napu menerima bantuan nyata: saluran draenase untuk mencegah genangan air—tempat favorit berkembangnya cacing Schistosoma—dan hand traktor untuk mendukung pertanian warga.

Ketua Rotary Club Palu, dr. Ellen Mentang, menjelaskan bahwa total hibah senilai lebih dari 4 milyar rupiah itu digunakan untuk membangun draenase di Desa Kaduwa’a, Dodolo, Bumi Banyusari, Alitupu, Maholo, dan Watutau, dengan total panjang lebih dari 2 kilometer. "Ini bukan proyek satu arah. Ini sinergi. Tujuannya jelas: sampai angka prevalensi schistosomiasis 0%," tegasnya.

Tak hanya dari luar negeri, pemerintah daerah pun turut menggelontorkan anggaran lebih dari 4,3 milyar rupiah melalui Cikasda untuk pembangunan draenase tambahan di Desa Winowanga, Tamadue, dan Sedoa. Setiap saluran yang terbangun bukan hanya saluran air—tapi juga jalur harapan baru.

Hari itu, di tengah tawa anak-anak yang berlari menyambut tamu, terlihat saluran draenase baru yang dibangun memanjang di pinggir desa. Kini, air hujan tak lagi menggenang, dan siput-siput pembawa penyakit mulai kehilangan tempat tinggalnya.

"Kalau dulu kami takut anak-anak main di sawah setelah hujan, sekarang kami lebih tenang,"

ujar Ibu Yanti, warga Desa Alitupu, sambil tersenyum.

Di Lembah Napu, kolaborasi bukan hanya kata-kata. Ia hidup, mengalir seperti air di saluran yang baru dibangun. Dan dari situ, tumbuh harapan: bahwa sehat itu bukan impian, melainkan hak yang bisa diperjuangkan—bersama.

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Bringing Health Home to Napu Valley

In the serene and green Napu Valley, behind the beauty of nature and the whisper of mountain winds, lies a long-standing concern among the people: schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever. This parasitic disease, carried by freshwater snails, can enter the human body simply through skin contact during daily activities like bathing, farming, or playing in water.

Three villages—Kaduwa’a, Maholo, and Dodolo—have been identified with 49 endemic points. For the residents, these are not just numbers; they represent a daily fear, especially for mothers whose children love playing near puddles and rivers after the rain.

But hope is now flowing in.

On a bright April morning in 2025, the atmosphere in Kaduwa’a Village was different. Not because of a market or festival, but because visitors from across institutions came with a shared purpose: to bring a healthier future to the community. Representing the Governor of Central Sulawesi, Dr. Andi Ruly Djanggola from the Office of Public Works and Water Resources (Cikasda) joined forces with Rotary Club teams from Japan, Rotary Club Palu, and the Indonesian Ministry of Health.

This was not a ceremonial visit. They came to listen, to observe, and to work hand-in-hand.

Through a humanitarian grant from Rotary Clubs in Kyoto, South Kyoto, Sakurai, and Kashihara, in close partnership with Rotary Club Palu, six villages in Napu Valley received essential support: the construction of drainage systems to prevent stagnant water—the breeding ground for schistosomiasis parasites—and hand tractors to strengthen local agriculture.

Chairperson of Rotary Club Palu, Dr. Ellen Mentang, shared that the total value of the grant exceeded IDR 4 billion, used to build drainage in the villages of Kaduwa’a, Dodolo, Bumi Banyusari, Alitupu, Maholo, and Watutau, totaling over 2 kilometers in length. “This is not a one-way project. It’s a synergy. The goal is clear: reduce schistosomiasis prevalence to 0%,” she affirmed.

The local government also stepped up. Through Cikasda, the Provincial Government of Central Sulawesi allocated an additional IDR 4.3 billion in 2024 to construct drainage systems in Winowanga, Tamadue, and Sedoa villages, building over 1,450 meters of new infrastructure.

“Based on data from the Regional Research and Innovation Agency (BRIDA) of Central Sulawesi, there are 49 endemic points across three villages that have been prioritized for drainage construction to stop the spread of the parasite and maintain prevalence below 1%,” said Dr. Ruly during a site visit to Kaduwa’a.

That day, as children laughed and played near the new drainage system, their joy echoed a renewed sense of safety. No longer were puddles a source of worry. The parasitic snails were losing their habitat.

“In the past, we were afraid to let our kids play in the rice fields after it rained. Now, we feel much safer,”

said Ibu Yanti, a resident of Alitupu Village, with a smile.

In Napu Valley, collaboration is not just a concept—it’s alive and flowing like the water in the new drainage systems. And from that flow, grows a shared belief: that good health is not a dream—it’s a right, worth fighting for together.