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

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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

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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