Outstanding Achievement by FF UNAIR Students: Pioneering Smart Packaging for HIV/AIDS Medication
Students from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga (FF UNAIR), have once again made an outstanding achievement in a competition. Reihan Ananta Noor Baihaqi and Rivia Ghina Rahmi won first place in the 2024 World AIDS Day (WAD) Popular Scientific Essay Competition. The winners were announced on Monday, December 20, 2024.
The competition was organized by the Medical Student Association of the Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, under the theme “Epitychia: Health Improvement Strategies of HIV/AIDS to Actualize Golden Indonesia 2045.”
Reihan and Rivia chose the sub-theme of developing science and technology as a promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative effort in combating HIV/AIDS. Reihan explained that they designed an innovative Smart Packaging for Antiretroviral (ARV) Drugs integrated with a mobile application as a solution for HIV treatment. According to them, the number of HIV cases in Indonesia is growing year by year. One of the major challenges faced by people living with HIV is adherence to treatment, understanding the therapy, and mental health issues.
Reihan shared that the design process took seven days of preparation. They focused on identifying problems or potential issues in HIV treatment. Moreover, there needs to be technological reinforcement through sensors and app development, as their concept involves tech-based smart packaging integrated with an application.
Through this competition, Reihan and Rivia are committed to contributing to the fight against HIV/AIDS. By using technologies such as dosage sensors, reminder notifications, or simple drug intake trackers, they hope their innovation can bring real benefits to people living with HIV/AIDS. He added that one of the main challenges they faced was analyzing various aspects such as the social, psychological, and stigma-related conditions of HIV/AIDS patients.
