We keep being told that there is a ‘fertility crisis’ as people continue to have fewer children or none at all. But is there really a crisis brewing? We explore reasons why people are choosing to not have children and why this is a problem with sexual and reproductive health rights, with Dr Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA Country Representative for Malaysia, and Tengku Aira Tengku Razif, Assistant Representative with UNPFA Malaysia.

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Palliative care should be an important part of most healthcare workers’ training, because its goal is to alleviate suffering and improve the quality of life of patients with serious illnesses. But out of 32 medical schools in the country, only 5 require palliative care training for doctors. When it comes to nursing schools, the number goes down to zero. We speak to Ednin Hamzah, CEO of Hospis Malaysia and Niensi Atarah Akiu, palliative care nurse at Two Tree Lodge in Kuching, to find out why this training matters.

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Are students today under too much pressure, as academic demands increase? Or are young people today just less adept at dealing with stress? Licensed and registered counsellor Hanurekha Muniandy, joins us to answer questions about stress among children and teenagers, and how to help them cope.

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Can generative AI tools like ChatGPT improve workflow in clinics and hospitals, allowing doctors and nurses to focus on the most important areas of patient care? We speak to Dr Vaikunthan Rajaratnam, Nerve Surgeon, Educator, and AI Ethicist, about how he uses these tools in his clinical and surgical practice, and what are the risks that we need to safeguard against.

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In 2020, when Dr Ruben Ramakrishnan completed his Doctor of Public Health, it was the culmination of two journeys - one, his professional journey, and the other, his personal journey to better health, having gone from 150kg to 78kg. Now a public health medicine specialist, Dr Ruben shares his personal story of overcoming obesity and how policies can be improved to support individuals, while Consultant Health Psychologist Dr Hariyati Shahrima Abdul Majid dives into the impact of stigma and the need for psychosocial support.

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What happens when you’re struck by an illness and require more support beyond just treating the symptoms or injury you have? That’s where medical social workers come in to support patients, whether with their mental health or to connect them to the right resources and financial support. On this episode of Humans of Healthcare, we speak to two medical social workers to find out more about this underappreciated role.

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Every time you wash your hands or flush the toilet, do you think about what the world would look like if we couldn’t easily do any of those things? For people living in conflict zones like Gaza or in the aftermath of a natural disaster like Myanmar, water and sanitation can be extremely hard to come by. Here to shed some light about the urgent need for water and sanitation in emergency situations, we speak to Wayne Chang, Emergency Water & Sanitation Coordinator with MSF, who is currently based in Myanmar.

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Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is treatable, and even curable, when patients are diagnosed at the earlier stages. But the treatment journey can be long and arduous, due to the intensity of the therapies. We speak to two survivors to find out how they stayed resilient throughout treatment, and how the Cancer Survivor Support Group is there through thick and thin for survivors. 

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.  

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A survey in the UK shows that Gen Z parents find reading to their children boring. We speak to Dr Rajini Sarvananthan, Consultant Developmental Paediatrician and Eugenie Chan, who’s on the Board of Trustees of the Playcentre Library Association, to find out if younger generations of parents in Malaysia still read to their kids, and why parents should hold on to this practice (and their books) with both hands.

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Refugees in Malaysia live on the precipice of danger - fleeing persecution in their own country, while facing social and financial insecurity in a foreign land. Contrary to popular perception, refugees aren't given a free ride in Malaysia - they're subjected to the same rules and policies that apply to all foreigners, such as paying for medical treatment at government hospitals and clinics. We speak to Dr Susheela Balasundaram, UNHCR Community-based Protection Officer, and Dr Siti Noraida Bt Mohamad Habibullah, Founder of refugee clinic Klinik Amal Muhajir, to find out how refugees cope with their healthcare needs, and how UNHCR’s Refugee Medical Insurance scheme provides a safety net that allows refugee communities to be more self-sustaining.

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