Dr Sim (seated second right) together with (seated from left) Amelia, Dr Jones and Dr Siti Nursheena pose for a group photo. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (July 17): Tropical medicine will be a major study at the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) when the new research centre in Samarahan is completed by next year, said Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said the Sarawak Research and Development Council has already met with Imperial College London and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Switzerland to discuss and research collaboration on this matter.
The Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister pointed out that historically, Borneo has had higher transmissions of tropical diseases compared to other regions due to the tropical climate and geographical diversity.
“This creates various habitats for diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and other tropical diseases,” he told a press conference today to announce the 21st International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria (ICTMM) set to take place in Kuching next year.
Citing the World Health Organisation (WHO), he said Malaysia’s malaria cases have declined over the years with less than 4,000 cases reported in 2022.
“For Sarawak, a total of 421 malaria cases have been reported between January and June this year.
“Of this figure, 120 were imported cases while 301 were local zoonotic cases, where the more serious cases involved the (plasmodium) knowlesi,” he said.
The plasmodium knowlesi is a zoonotic malaria parasite usually found in monkeys of Southeast Asia that is transmitted by mosquitoes. This parasite can infect humans via mosquito bites.
Dr Sim said one of the ways that Sarawak addresses tropical diseases such as malaria is through the Malaria Research Centre by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) to study the genetics and transmission of the disease.
He said another way is through business events such as ICTMM, which will be held for the first time in Malaysia and to be hosted by Sarawak.
“As a significant world congress, we expect more than 2,000 delegates, including policymakers and international authorities to meet in Kuching and discuss current topics such as neglected diseases, drug resistance, travel medicine and zoonoses (diseases and infections that are transmitted between animals and humans).
“Besides knowledge sharing and networking, ICTMM will contribute to global health where knowledge, insights, and collaborations gained from the congress can be translated into practical solutions and interventions that address the challenges of tropical diseases in their respective regions,” he said.
Themed ‘Global Responses and Interdisciplinary Research Towards Eliminating Tropical Diseases’, ICTMM 2024 will take place from Sept 19 to 23 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK). It will run together with the 60th Malaysian Society of Parasitology & Tropical Medicine Conference and the 10th Asean Congress of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology.
It is organised by the International Federation of Tropical Medicine and Malaria (IFTM) and the Malaysian Society of Parasitology & Tropical Medicine (MSTPM) and supported by the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Sarawak, Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak, Sarawak Health Department, Unimas, Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), and Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).
“IFTM and MSTPM aspire to be at the forefront of fostering global collaborations within the scientific community and driving transformative change.
“By hosting ICTMM in Sarawak, not only can we help them to achieve their legacy but also position Sarawak as a leading hub for scientific and medical collaborations,” said Dr Sim.
Also present were International Federation of Tropical Medicine president Prof Dr Malcolm Jones, MSPTM president Dr Chen Chee Dhang, ICTMM 2024 organising chairperson Prof Dr Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain, and BESarawak chief executive officer Amelia Roziman.