Health & Living

Do you have a school-going child who doesn’t seem to fit into the education system? Every child is different when it comes to learning, so parents and teachers need to know how to support children with these different learning abilities, as well as those with learning difficulties. Our experts are here to help guide you and your children, especially after a challenging year in education and...

Despite being first isolated and identified back in 1983, HIV - the virus that causes AIDS, has no vaccine or cure till today, although there is treatment for people living with HIV. In conjunction with World AIDS Day today, we check in with Dato’ Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President of the International AIDS Society, whether we’re close to a HIV vaccine, and if the case of a women f...

Despite being first isolated and identified back in 1983, HIV - the virus that causes AIDS, has no vaccine or cure till today, although there is treatment for people living with HIV. In conjunction with World AIDS Day today, we check in with Dato’ Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, President of the International AIDS Society, whether we’re close to a HIV vaccine, and if the case of a women f...

We return with our monthly mental health clinic to address your concerns regarding mental, emotional and psychosocial issues. In the last show of the year, consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan gets us to reflect on the positive aspects of 2021, and shares more about how positive psychology could help us to face the year ahead. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Raising a child with special needs is a rocky journey for any family, with challenges related to the child’s development, health, education and much more. Imagine facing additional barriers when it comes to purchasing insurance to protect your child - how does that impact your child and your family? As we look ahead to International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, we explore...

The Doctor in the House meets the first Professor of Urology in Cambridge University. Consultant urologist Dr George Lee joins us for a chat with Prof Vincent Gnanapragasam - also an honorary consultant urologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge - to talk about his academic career, his clinical work in personalised medicine, as well as his research and award-winning innovations aimed at...

The Doctor in the House meets the first Professor of Urology in Cambridge University. Consultant urologist Dr George Lee joins us for a chat with Prof Vincent Gnanapragasam - also an honorary consultant urologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge - to talk about his academic career, his clinical work in personalised medicine, as well as his research and award-winning innovations aimed at...

The Doctor in the House meets the first Professor of Urology in Cambridge University. Consultant urologist Dr George Lee joins us for a chat with Prof Vincent Gnanapragasam - also an honorary consultant urologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge - to talk about his academic career, his clinical work in personalised medicine, as well as his research and award-winning innovations aimed at...

In the US, a baby boy born at 21 weeks and a day, weighing just 420g is the world’s most premature baby to survive, after celebrating his first birthday in July this year. Closer to home, in Singapore, a baby girl weighing just 212g when she was born is believed to be the world’s smallest at birth, and was discharged in August after spending 13 months in the hospital. In conjunction wi...

In 2019, the World Health Organisation listed antimicrobial resistance as one of the top 10 threats to global health. In 2020 and 2021, they repeated the call. Have we made any progress in addressing antimicrobial resistance, and does the pandemic offer any lessons to be learnt? We commemorate World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (observed from 18-24 November every year) in this conversation with As...

Every mental health struggle has a story behind it. ‘ Because Feelings Matter ’ is a series that brings you the stories of people and their mental health issues. These stories aim to normalise conversations about mental health, and to show that it’s normal to struggle emotionally and psychologically, but more importantly, that it’s okay to reach out for help. In this episode, Villy Juis shares wha...

Children and teenagers have not been bystanders in this pandemic. They have been at the centre of it, witnessing illness, deaths, school closures, job losses, financial uncertainties and grief. How has all this affected their mental health, and are parents able to recognise and support children who are facing challenges to their mental wellbeing? In light of World Children’s Day on 20 Novemb...

Prostate cancer is the third most common cancer among men in Malaysia, but it’s still uncommon for men to talk about their prostate problems. When such an important health issue is shrouded in secrecy, men suffer - they get diagnosed late, do not have meaningful conversations about treatment, and have fewer options to improve their outcomes. We pair up an oncologist and a prostate cancer sur...

We return with our monthly mental health clinic to address your concerns regarding mental, emotional and psychosocial issues. In this month’s clinic, consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan helps you to cope with changes - large and small - in your life. Image credit: thebluediamondgallery.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We return with our monthly mental health clinic to address your concerns regarding mental, emotional and psychosocial issues. In this month’s clinic, consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan helps you to cope with changes - large and small - in your life. Image credit: thebluediamondgallery.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysians have been allowed to make withdrawals from their EPF accounts, which are meant for their retirement fund, to help alleviate the financial strain caused by the pandemic. But what of the long-term repercussions on their financial security in their golden years? In fact, EPF chief strategy officer said that only 3% of EPF contributors can afford retirement. We take a look at whether we&rsq...

We know mental health issues have become more widespread during this pandemic, and more people will need mental health care and support. Will we have the resources to cope with these issues, with the RM70 million allocated in Budget 2022 to address mental health issues, on top of the RM319 million estimated operational expenditure (which covers emoluments, services and supplies)? We’ll discu...

We know that leading an active life as you age is important to keep your joints healthy. But what if your joints are aching, and the pain is affecting your mobility? Is that simply a normal part of growing older? Dr Suhail Suresh , consultant orthopaedic surgeon from Sunway Medical Centre joins us to discuss what living with osteoarthritis looks like, and how we can maintain both healthy joints an...

The Ministry of Health Malaysia has released the results of its study on ivermectin, which found that the drug does not prevent patients with COVID-19 symptoms from progressing into stage four or five, and thus it should not be used to treat COVID-19. Emeritus Prof PT Thomas, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor’s University, puts on his pharmacy and toxicolog...

Malaysia’s diabetes numbers are staggering, and show no signs of reducing, especially as other related risk factors like obesity and hypertension continue to rack up despite the years of healthy lifestyle campaigns. How do we reverse a trend that’s been decades in the making? Leading up to World Diabetes Day on 14 November, Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health & So...

Scientists have been working on growing mini, brain-like models in the lab, commonly known as brain organoids. But are they really growing brains in a petri dish? What is the purpose of such research? And, the age-old question of is it ethical to do so? Neurogeneticist Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar is back for her monthly Brain Waves segment, and she is joined by developmental neurogeneticist Assoc Prof...

For decades, lung cancer has been synonymous with smokers. But the profile of people newly diagnosed with lung cancer may be changing. Dr Anand Sachithanandan, President of the Lung Cancer Network Malaysia, and Dr Jamalul Azizi, Consultant Pulmonologist from Hospital Serdang, join us to explore the rise of lung cancer among non-smokers, and whether artificial intelligence has the potential to impr...

Almost one in every five Malaysians has diabetes. If you’re one of them, are you having trouble managing your condition? Are you at risk of developing serious, crippling and possibly fatal complications? Our experts share tips on how to stay motivated in managing your diabetes, whether it’s sticking to your medication, changing your diet or maintaining an active lifestyle.  This i...

Ultraviolet C (UVC) devices are among a long list of products in the market that carry claims of being able to kill coronaviruses and other pathogens. We take a deeper look at how UVC works in disinfection, and whether it is advisable to use them in homes, workplaces or businesses to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For expert guidance on the safe use of UVC devices and other disinfection methods,...

Merck & Co’s oral antiviral for COVID-19 is being called a “game-changer”, as it would be the first pill available to treat early infection. In another first, the company has agreed to a licensing deal that will allow the drug to be made and sold cheaply in 105 low-income countries. We ask Sangeeta Shashikant, Programme Director on Development & Intellectual Property, Thi...