Health & Living

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how contagious and dangerous infectious diseases can be. Before children were immunised against common childhood infections, diseases like measles, polio and pertussis used to spread rapidly, causing severe complications and even death among children. Today, we can protect all children, and even newborn babies, from these deadly diseases – not only with imm...

Words help us to describe how we feel during the highs and the lows, and they’re especially important in our conversations about mental health. But are our efforts to destigmatise mental illness and create more conversations about how we feel too broad? Is telling someone to seek mental health help whenever they feel “depressed” or “down” sending the wrong message tha...

We are observing World Sexual Health Day which is commemorated every 4th September to promote sexual health, well-being and rights for all. This year’s theme is Sexual Health in a Digital World, and that’s exactly what we want to explore today: what is sexual health in a digital world and how has the pandemic affected access to sexual health information and care? While there is easier...

We are observing World Sexual Health Day which is commemorated every 4th September to promote sexual health, well-being and rights for all. This year’s theme is Sexual Health in a Digital World, and that’s exactly what we want to explore today: what is sexual health in a digital world and how has the pandemic affected access to sexual health information and care? While there is easier...

During the July Parliamentary sitting, Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said that workplace clusters specifically within the manufacturing sector only contributed fewer than 10 percent of new COVID-19 cases, compared to “sporadic cases” in the community. This was an inference that workplace clusters are not a major contributor to the severity of...

We return with our monthly mental health clinic to address your concerns regarding mental, emotional and psychosocial issues. This month’s show has a special focus on listening - why listening is important in our communication and how to listen more effectively. If you need emotional support or just want to talk to someone anonymously, you can call Befrienders KL at 03 7627 2929.  Image...

We return with our monthly mental health clinic to address your concerns regarding mental, emotional and psychosocial issues. This month’s show has a special focus on listening - why listening is important in our communication and how to listen more effectively.  Image credit: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a pressure-cooker situation in most households. Many working adults are struggling with the stress of juggling work with raising their children and caring for their elderly parents. How do you manage it all without burning out or damaging your family relationships? And how do you keep your elderly parents safe, happy and healthy during this pandemic? Find out from...

What is the future of Malaysia's healthcare? A junior doctor and a senior specialist share their perspectives, from different stages of their respective careers. In this special episode, they get to take over the mics to quiz each other about the role of junior and senior doctors in improving the healthcare system, what challenges the medical fraternity will need to overcome, and how to take that...

What is the future of Malaysia's healthcare? A junior doctor and a senior specialist share their perspectives, from different stages of their respective careers. In this special episode, they get to take over the mics to quiz each other about the role of junior and senior doctors in improving the healthcare system, what challenges the medical fraternity will need to overcome, and how to take that...

The 9th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, has just announced his new Cabinet, with YB Khairy Jamaluddin as the Minister of Health. While there is no news about a Coordinating Minister for Vaccination (a post previously held by YB Khairy), the portfolio of Science, Technology and Innovation has gone to former Health Minister Dato’ Sri Dr Adham Baba. We look at these ap...

The reopening of schools nationwide has been deferred to 3 October, beginning with exam-year students in states that have entered Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan. We explore the impact of the months-long closure on students’ learning, what expectations parents should have for their children in this school year, and what educators should focus on when children are back in classrooms.&nb...

As the number of people vaccinated in Malaysia and globally continues to climb, we are now hearing more about “breakthrough infections”, or infections among people who have been partially or fully vaccinated. How concerned should we be about this and is this because of the Delta variant, which is much more transmissible than other variants of the virus?  Immunologist & virolog...

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 okay to struggle emotionally and psychologically, but more importantly, to reach out for help. The first episode features Chung Bhin Han, and his jour...

People in need of health services are often at their most vulnerable - they’re unwell and likely afraid as well. What happens when those from marginalised communities, such as refugees, migrants or ethnic minority groups, face discrimination at the point of care? What is the impact on their wellbeing, and what does it say about us as a society? How do we ensure that ethics within the healthc...

We look beyond the numbers and statistics of COVID-19 to talk to Azlee, a COVID-19 survivor who recounts the severity of his symptoms, how he barely skirted death, and how this changed his outlook on vaccination.   Image source: Shutterstock  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During this pandemic, healthcare has found itself at a crossroads. Amid a global crisis and scarce resources, the immediate priority has been to ensure that people continue to get immediate access to care. But are we achieving the longer-term goal of better health and well-being, for everyone? We ask digital health futurist Maneesh Juneja whether technology can solve these problems, and why he loo...

Last week, on the 8th of August it was announced that some restrictions would be loosened for individuals who are fully vaccinated, especially for those living in states under Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan. But with daily COVID-19 cases still hovering at the 20,000 mark and some states seeing a worrying rise in COVID-19 cases, many experts are concerned that the loosened restrictions could...

It’s time for our monthly open clinic, where you get to ask a doctor about various health topics. This month, Prof Dr Winnie Chee, president of the Malaysian Dietitians Association joins us to answer your questions on supplements. Image source: Shutterstock  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The high pressure and rapid pace of work today has taken a toll on our mental well-being, and the pandemic has only caused further stress. Employers are slowly beginning to realise the importance of mental health in the workplace, but what kind of workplace policies and programmes need to be put in place? We explore how Employee Assistance Programmes can help, and why quick fixes won’t work,...

Everyone’s talking about ivermectin, a veterinary antiparasitic drug that is touted to be effective in treating COVID-19. What do the latest studies and data say about the efficacy of ivermectin in preventing or treating COVID-19? Why is it important for sound clinical trials to be carried out before the drug is approved for general use? Consultant urologist Dr George Lee is joined by Emerit...

In conjunction with SMA Awareness Month, which is observed every August, we discuss a new study which looks at what it is like living with SMA in Malaysia, together with neurogeneticist Dr Azlina Ahmad Annuar, consultant clinical geneticist and paediatrician Dr Ch’ng Gaik Siew, and parent & co-founder of WeCareJourney Yap Sook Yee. We also discuss how the pandemic has affected this tight...

In July 2019, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham tweeted: “We are currently underfunded, understaffed, underpaid, overworked, overstretched and with facilities overcrowded with patients.” That tweet has now taken on new urgency, in light of critical care facilities and public health services collapsing beneath the weight of the pandemic. How did we get here, and how do we e...

The death toll from COVID-19 continues to rise every day, especially as the Delta variant rips through vulnerable countries. In Malaysia, seven in 10 people who succumbed to COVID-19 had diabetes. What is the link between diabetes and COVID-19? We find out from consultant endocrinologist Dr Miza Hiryanti Zakaria, and discuss what people with diabetes need to know if they test positive for COVID-19...

Malaysia hit the 1 million cases milestone the previous week, a number of psychological significance considering the country’s success in controlling the pandemic a year ago. How will we turn the tide to ensure that we can enter Phase 2 and 3 of the National Recovery Plan before the end of 2021? We catch up with Datuk Dr Rohaizat Yon, Former Deputy DG of Health (Medical), who was dubbed Tan...