When you think about chronic diseases, you may not think that children could be affected. But did you know that asthma is the most common chronic disease in children? It can even lead to death, if it is not well-controlled. On World Asthma Day (observed on the first Tuesday of every May), we’re looking at childhood asthma in Malaysia, with Dr Jessie Anne de Bruyne, Consultant Paediatric Respiratory Physician and Prof Dr Ahmad Izuanuddin Ismail, Consultant Respiratory Physician, both from the Lung Foundation of Malaysia and the Malaysian Thoracic Society.

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You might have seen recent headlines which say that the shingles vaccine can decrease the risk of dementia, but how does that work? On this episode of Healthy Ageing, we speak to consultant geriatrician Dr Kejal Hasmukharay to find out why getting the shingles vaccine matters, not just to decrease the risk of dementia but for our older adults to lead healthy lives.

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Yesterday, the drug price display mandate came into force, which requires private health facilities such as private GPs and community pharmacies to physically display the price list for products such as prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines. This has been a particularly contentious issue - the Ministry of Health says that this is part of efforts to address rising medical inflation, but medical groups have also been resistant to its implementation - or perhaps more accurately, how it’s being implemented. We’ll be diving into this policy with FOMCA and MMA. We also briefly hear from Rachel Gan May Shiang, the Secretary of Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild. 

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When it comes to cardiovascular disease in our country, we are not only burdened by coronary artery disease, but also, increasingly, heart failure. As the rates of cardiometabolic diseases increase in Malaysia, people will also have to contend with heart failure as an endpoint, which means their quality of life in their remaining years can deteriorate tremendously. How does early diagnosis and the use of cost-effective treatment improve the outlook for heart failure patients? We speak to Professor Chim C. Lang, Tuanku Muhriz Royal Chair, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, whose research in these areas of diagnosis and therapy has been incorporated into international guidelines. (Prof Lang is also Professor of Cardiology at the University of Dundee.)

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Adolescence is already a challenging stage in life - for both parents and teens alike - but what happens when you throw in a rare disorder? We speak to Azhar Talib, whose daughter has Prader-Willi syndrome, and Prof Dr Muhammad yazid Jalaludin, a consultant paediatric endocrinologist, to discuss what it’s like managing a rare disorder and the child’s health during that transition phase from childhood into adolescence and later into adulthood.

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For five long years, Farah Syahidah Shamsuddin was on the waiting list for a liver transplant. Her liver, damaged due to a congenital condition, was losing its ability to support the body in fundamental processes like metabolism, detoxification, and digestion. When she finally underwent the transplant, it was like being reborn. Farah shares her experience of awaiting a donated liver, while consultant hepatologist & gastroenterologist Dr Haniza Omar talks about the transplant procedure. You can pledge your organs on your MySejahtera app, or visit dermaorgan.gov.my for more information. You can also support the Malaysian Society of Transplantation’s fundraising event. 

NCD Chronicles is a series about people living with NCDs, going beyond the diagnosis to explore their personal experiences, their challenges, as well as the impact of their health condition on their loved ones. These stories reveal the importance of understanding the unique struggles and needs of the individuals behind the disease, in our response to the NCD epidemic. 

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Since the gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights, Selangor, on 1 April 2025, dozens of residents are still displaced, while hundreds of others are trying to settle back into a normal routine after the terrifying incident and chaos that ensued. Amid the injuries, burns and destruction of property, how have the survivors of the disaster been coping psychologically? We speak to Haji Hakim Bin Hamzah, Director of Finance, Administration and HR from Mercy Malaysia - who was also present to provide on-ground support at the disaster - about the mental health impact of the disaster and the importance of support for the victims. 

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Last week, news headlines exploded when the US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr said that the significant and recent rise in autism diagnoses was evidence of an “epidemic” caused by an “environmental toxin”. We’re exploring the facts and fallacies behind this claim, with Dr Rajini Sarvanathan and Dr Norazlin Kamal, Consultant Developmental Paediatricians.

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We’ve often heard that vaccines save lives, but have we ever thought about what the world would look like without vaccines? While many have had a newfound appreciation for vaccines after the COVID-19 pandemic, others developed a large dose of skepticism and hesitancy towards vaccines. So what does this mean for the future of vaccines? In conjunction with World Immunisation Week (observed annually in the last week of April), we’ll be discussing those questions with Dr Jerome Kim, director-general of the International Vaccine Institute. 

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When you’re a mother of two girls with autism, you’ll do anything to support their development and ensure access to all the necessary interventions. This was what Nik Didi called her “fighting, fixing and closing the gap” mode. But eventually, she learned to look at her daughters through a neuroaffirming lens, and accept that not everything could be “fixed”. She shares her journey as a parent and advocate on this episode of Because Feelings Matter, in conjunction with Autism Awareness Day in April. Follow Nik Didi’s experiences on the Kita Family podcast.

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