Health & Living

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty affecting reading and writing skills. If you have dyslexia, you may not read these sentences in the same way that a typical person would. Some letters might be missing, appear in reverse, or even seem to move around on the screen. But having dyslexia doesn’t mean you can’t read, learn, work or even thrive, with the right support and acceptance within your environment. Amani Amrullah, an advocate for neurodiversity, joins consultant developmental paediatrician Dr Rajini Sarvananthan, to share her journey of growing up with dyslexia (and ADHD), and the challenges she has faced, especially in the workplace.

It is said that it “takes a village to raise a child”, but mothers living in urban, low-income communities, may lack such a “village” or support system, as well as access to services and resources for physical, mental and social support. Mothers are especially vulnerable in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, which spans from pregnancy to the time a child turns two. How do socioeconomic and health inequities affect mothers’ mental health? Benjamin Looi, Clinical Psychologist & Manager of Community Development, Thrive Well, and Melissa Ngiam, CEO of Yayasan Generasi Gemilang, share about their programmes for mothers in PPR communities, and how they connect these programmes with maternal mental health. Image credit: Thrive Well

In the 1980s, a diagnosis of HIV was almost like a death sentence, but today with effective and accessible treatment, it no longer is. What this means is that we are seeing an increase in the population of older adults who are living with HIV. In fact, UNAIDS estimates that the number of people aged 50 years or older with HIV infection globally has increased from 5.4 million in 2015 to 8.1 million in 2020. But what are the challenges and stigma that older adults living with HIV still face today? Are we adequately considering their experiences and their needs as we implement policies to support older adults living with HIV? Image credit: Shutterstock

Dr George Lee, Consultant Urologist; Prof Dr Saw Aik, Programme Director, Silent Mentor Description: Medical students rely on cadavers during their years in medical school to learn the fundamentals of human anatomy but how often do they know the person behind the body? The Silent Mentor programme at Universiti Malaya aims to change that through its unique body donation programme. Here to tell us more about it is Prof Dr Saw Aik, its programme director. Image Credit: Silent Mentor Program by Universiti Malaya, Facebook

Medicine - the most coveted profession, especially in Asian cultures, where the social stature and financial rewards of being a doctor are, arguably, the height of parents’ aspirations for their children. Yet, it is also a profession fraught with uncertainties, unrealistic expectations, and enormous sacrifices. On Heart of Medicine, consultant cardiologist Dr Kannan Pasamanickam is joined by fellow doctors Prof Florence Wang and Dr Raveendran Ramachandran, to explore the question of what it takes to become a doctor, and what is life like in their profession? Image credit: Shutterstock

Older adults were often perceived as being less tech-savvy, but with the ubiquity of smartphones these days, it seems like some of them even surpass us in how easy they navigate the online world. But is that the case across Malaysia? How does building digital literacy help create a sense of community as well as independence among seniors? We speak to Dr Tan Yun Yi, founder of Bengkel Teknologi Senior about the work that they do in the community. You can follow Bengkel Teknologi Senior on Facebook or on Instagram. Image credit: Facebook/Bengkel Teknologi Senior

The eyes are the window to the soul but what happens when we can’t see that well? On this monthly episode of Ask A Doctor, we speak to consultant ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal surgeon Dr Kenneth Fong about maintaining good vision and healthy eyes from childhood to your golden years. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare systems all around the world, and yet they are often one of the most underappreciated healthcare workers. In conjunction with International Nurses Day - observed annually on 12th May - on this episode of Humans of Healthcare, we’ll find out what it takes to become a nurse, both professionally and personally, from Jeovelyn Samoya, a community outreach nurse currently with the Breast Cancer Welfare Association Malaysia.

A urinary tract infection is one of the most common infections to affect humans; in fact, if you’re a woman, you’re even more likely to have a UTI at some point in your life. But despite how common and treatable it is, it can also be very uncomfortable and painful to deal with. On this episode of Doctor in the House, we put consultant urologist Dr George Lee in the hot seat to answer all our questions about UTIs and whether something can be done to prevent UTIs from happening at all. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Our planet is sick - and we don’t just mean melting glaciers and rising ocean levels too distant from our daily realities. In Malaysia, we see the effect of climate changes and the inexorable destruction of Earth every day, and more startlingly, we are experiencing the health effects of our planet’s problems. Tan Sri Prof Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Executive Director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University, and Hazami Habib, CEO of Akademi Sains Malaysia, join us to draw the parallels between the planet’s, and the people’s, ill health. Image credit: 123rf

Children with special needs are often left behind in education, due to societal stigma, as well as lack of resources and capacity in our community. How is the Kiwanis Malaysia Academy hoping to close this gap? Dato’ Fatimah Saad, Chairman, Kiwanis Malaysia Academy, joins us to share more about their initiatives in ensuring that inclusive education is accessible to all children, to enable them to thrive. In the second part of the show, Dato’ Fatimah is joined by Hanizan bt Hussin, one of the award recipients of Anugerah Ibu Kiwanis 2024, and a mother to an adult child with Down Syndrome. Hanizan is also the president of Persatuan Sindrom Down Malaysia.

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rajesh Singh checks in for his regular show to discuss tendons - their structure, functions and dysfunctions. We explore a variety of tendon injuries, ranging from trigger finger to plantar fasciitis, and try to understand the basis for treating these problems. Image Credit: 123rf

According to news reports, for the first time in a court document, AstraZeneca has allegedly confirmed that its Covid-19 vaccine can lead to a rare side effect called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). We speak to public health physician Dr Farhan Rusli about the impact that this news would have on immunisation programmes moving forward, and what we can learn about risk communication of vaccine side effects in the future. Image credit: Shutterstock

Recently, AstraZeneca allegedly confirmed, for the first time in a court document, that its COVID-19 vaccine can lead to a rare side effect called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). What is TTS, and did many people develop this side effect after receiving the AZ vaccine during the pandemic? Consultant haematologist Dr Alan Teh provides an explainer on the issue. Watch a short explainer video produced by Dr Alan Teh here. Image credit: Shutterstock

Tapeworms and flatworms, lice and bedbugs, giardia and malaria - these are just some of the common parasites that cause disease among humans, and symptoms that range from mildly irritating to life-threatening. Parasitologist Dr Vinoth Kumarasamy joins Dr George Lee to dive into the world of parasites, how they make their way into the human body, and what we can do to protect ourselves. Image Credit: olgaru79, Shutterstock

Everybody’s buying their mother flowers and chocolates to celebrate Mother’s Day this month, but are we stopping to ask Mum, “How are you doing?” Licensed counsellor Heeran Kaur steps into Counsellor’s Corner to answer questions on everything related to maternal mental health, including parenting stress, postpartum depression, and the burden of care work. Image credit: 123rf

To commemorate World Malaria Day, which was observed on 25 April, Prof Dr Balbir Singh and Dr Timothy William discuss how zoonotic malaria has become an emerging threat in Malaysia, how to think outside the box to eliminate this form of transmission, and the significance of Malaysia hosting the International Congress for Tropical Medicine & Malaria (ICTMM 2024) from 16-23 September 2024.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in Malaysia among men and women, and is predominantly diagnosed in the late stages. On this episode of NCD Chronicles, we hear two very different stories of being diagnosed with colorectal cancer: Choo Mei Sze, who celebrates her 10th-year cancer-versary this year, and Norazri, who is still undergoing treatment. Contact National Cancer Society of Malaysia or Colorectal Cancer Survivorship Society Malaysia (CORUM) for information on patient support. NCD Chronicles is a series about people living with NCDs, going beyond the diagnosis to explore their personal experiences, their challenges, as well as the impact of their health condition on their loved ones. These stories reveal the importance of understanding the unique struggles and needs of the individuals behind the disease, in our response to the NCD epidemic.

Malaysia’s healthcare system, skilled workforce, and diverse population presents an attractive proposition for global pharmaceutical companies looking to conduct multicentre clinical trials. In 2023, Malaysia ranked second in the Southeast Asian region in terms of the number of global industry-sponsored studies. How do we maintain our potential as a regional hub for clinical trials, especially moving up the value chain to focus more on Phase 1, or first-in-human, clinical trials? Dr Akhmal Yusof, Chief Executive Officer of Clinical Research Malaysia, and Dr Mohamed Elwakil, Country President of Novartis Malaysia, join Dr George Lee to discuss. Image credit: Clinical Research Malaysia Facebook

Consultant developmental paediatrician Dr Rajini Sarvananthan joins us on her monthly show to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day, in a conversation with Nik Didi, a parent to two autistic girls. We explore the joys and challenges of parenting neurodivergent children, and find out more about the support that parents need. Image credit: Nik Didi