Health & Living

We know how effective the HPV vaccine can be at preventing 90% of cervical cancer cases. Now a new study from the UK shows that women who receive the vaccine as a teen have virtually zero risk of dying from the cancer before they turn 30. How does this add to what we already know about the benefits of a HPV vaccination? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by consultant gynaecological onco...

When you picture people waiting in front of their computers to buy tickets, you would usually think it's for a pop star's concert. Not anymore. Hyrox and other similar gamified fitness events like Redline have surged in popularity in Malaysia and around the world, with people waiting to buy tickets to participate in an event that they spend months training for. What’s driving this functional fitne...

The World Cup has wrapped up, ending the 3am matches and hordes of bleary-eyed Malaysians dragging themselves to school and work. While we assume that we can simply rewire our biological clocks by catching up on sleep afterwards, are there hidden effects of the sleep debt on our bodies? We speak to Dr Julius Goh Liang Chye, Consultant ENT Surgeon about the physical and mental health risks, and how...

One moment, Fasha Ishak could be feeling on top of the world, but in the next, she could find herself completely drained of energy. These are the realities of living with autoimmune disorders. But while her medical conditions may have affected her physically, Fasha ensures that they haven’t robbed her of the ability to live her life. On this episode of Because Feelings Matter , Fasha takes us thro...

Ichthyosis is a rare, genetic condition that causes a person to have dry, scaly skin. But this textbook definition fails to capture the persistent misconceptions and stigma faced by people with ichthyosis. On Beyond The Diagnosis , Mohd Firdaus Mehat, Chairman & Founder of Pertubuhan Kebajikan Pesakit Ichthyosis Malaysia (PEKIM), joins us in a candid conversation about the realities of living...

Our liver is a true workhorse, performing more than 500 functions in the body. But we often take our liver for granted and many of our lifestyle practices can be detrimental to our liver health. In this conversation, we’ll address common beliefs and clear up misconceptions about liver disease, as well as how to maintain good liver health.  Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listene...

When your child seems overly sensitive to loud noises, refuses to wear socks, or is fussy with food, is he/she being difficult? Or are these behaviours due to differences in how your child's brain processes sensory information? We discuss how sensory processing difficulties can appear as behavioural problems, and how parents can support children without labelling every difference as a disorder. Im...

We often think of a nose job or rhinoplasty as a surgery that’s done for cosmetic purposes, but there are circumstances in which it is needed to improve how you breathe. To help us understand what those circumstances are and when a rhinoplasty is a need instead of a want, is consultant ENT surgeon Dr Hardip Singh. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) report on rising healthcare costs revealed a number of issues related to private hospitals’ charges, which can potentially contribute to an unsustainable healthcare system. Dr Kamal Amzan, CEO of IHH Healthcare Malaysia, joins us to discuss private hospital billing practices, the causes behind increasing medical inflation and the PAC’s recommendations for impr...

Flash floods are so common that they seem like part and parcel of life now but with them comes the increased risk of infectious diseases. That might seem like the least of people’s worries when it floods but water- and food-borne diseases is a public health issue that needs to be addressed. So how can we empower communities to be more aware and resilient? Here to help us unpack that is Dr Rafidah...

A community screening programme has led to the alarming result that almost 9 in 10 individuals have at least two cardiovascular-renal-metabolic risk factors. On top of that, of the individuals who were overweight and pre-diabetic, more than 86% didn’t know about it, highlighting a problem with undiagnosed non-communicable diseases. The question now is: what can we do about this? Here to help us un...

Orthopaedic surgeons have been dubbed as the ‘carpenters’ of the human body. Why is that so? And how much does that actually describe the work that they do? On this episode of Humans of Healthcare, we speak to Prof Dr Azlina Amir Abbas, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon about the job. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The increases in healthcare costs and medical insurance premiums are being felt by more and more Malaysians, and piecemeal debates are no longer enough to address the problems. The Public Accounts Committee recently released its report on the causes of rising insurance premiums, their impact on consumers, and recommendations to ensure healthcare and insurance pricing remains fair, transparent, and...

Let’s be honest: maintaining friendships requires work, even when it seems effortless. So in a time when we’re all glued to our screens, how have friendships changed? What does it take to keep friends and show them that we care? We speak to licensed and registered counsellor Rozy Khalid to find out. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s commonly accepted that the older you get, the fewer hours of sleep you need. But is that really the case? On this episode of Healthy Ageing, we speak to consultant psychiatrist Dr Wan Izwin Wan Hassan about common myths and misconceptions about sleeping well as you age, and how you can get a good night’s sleep. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Family planning isn’t just about preventing pregnancies. It's about planning life and making sure that if you want children, you and your spouse are in the best place to do so. In conjunction with World Population Day, we’re taking this opportunity to cut through the misinformation and answer all the questions about contraception and family planning that you’ve thought about but not asked. We spea...

When is a sore throat not just a sore throat? Painful inflammation of the tonsils may not always be a benign, short-lived infection. What happens when episodes of tonsillitis keep coming back, or when there is chronic, long-term inflammation? When is surgery to remove the tonsils necessary? We explore with consultant ENT surgeon Dr Hardip Singh. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listen...

According to OpenAI, over 1.2 million users discuss suicide on ChatGPT every week.  When we read yet another news report of AI encouraging suicidal thoughts or developing emotional relationships with its users, how alarmed should we be about mental health entering an untested and unregulated realm? We speak to Assoc Prof Dr Rebecca Brendel, Director, Center for Bioethics, Harvard Medical Scho...

On this month's open clinic show, we look at how and why we sweat, and what causes sweating disorders like hyperhidrosis or prickly heat conditions. We also explore anti-perspirants, deodorants, creams and more. Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anti-refugee sentiment has sharply increased in recent weeks. Among the claims that have made the rounds is that refugees are taking advantage of our public healthcare system, thus taking limited resources away from Malaysians. But is that really the case? We speak to Dr Susheela Balasundaram, community-based protection officer with UNHCR. Dr Junaidi Ismail, country CEO with Qualitas Medical Group...

When you walk down the aisles at the supermarket, do you notice if the way food products are placed or packaged attracts your attention? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by nutritionist and public health researcher Dr Sameeha Mohd Jamil from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to dive into how our food environment influences our food decisions and how food retailers can play their part in m...

For children born with a primary immunodeficiency (PID), a delayed diagnosis can have devastating consequences. We find out why newborn screening and early diagnosis are critical, in a conversation with Bruce Lim, a parent advocate and president of Persatuan Pesakit Imunodefisiensi Primer Malaysia (MYPOPI). Bruce is also a parent to a child with XLA (X Linked Agammaglobulinemia), a type of PID. Se...

Over 46% of children aged five and below have anaemia in Malaysia, higher than the global average of 40%. It’s a condition that often goes unseen, but it can have a significant impact on children’s health and wellbeing beyond their childhood years. To dive into this condition, particularly iron-deficiency anaemia, we speak to Prof Dr Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin, consultant paediatric endocrinologist...

As a professor of education, Dr Ratnawati Asraf’s professional calling had never seemed more meaningful than when her own grandchildren were discovered to be neurodivergent. Terms like dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD and autism were no longer textbook concepts, but realities that changed the trajectories of her grandchildren and children’s lives. On this episode of Because Feelings Matter , she shares...

Decades of awareness campaigns have equipped women with the knowledge of how to notice suspicious breast lumps and when to get mammograms done. But what happens when your healthcare workers keep reassuring you that your lump is “nothing to worry about”? Juliet Lau shares how a breast lump she’s had for over a decade became a rare and aggressive cancer, and why she is using this opportunity to also...