Towards better health and health-related policies
A MEMORANDUM of understanding (MoU) was signed between Monash University Malaysia and the Ministry of Health (MOH) recently.
Both parties have agreed to collaborate to provide greater insights into the health and wellbeing of the Malaysian population.
The partnership is said to mark a huge milestone between the Southeast Asia Community Observatory (Seaco), which is a major public health research facility funded by Monash University (Australia and Malaysia) and the Health Ministry.
Seaco compiles health and demographic data in its research. More than 40,000 people participate in its analysis, which is governed by the Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS).
Data is collected, collated and interpreted through health and healthrelated information, and shared across research programmes that are related to public health, social and environmental sciences, demography, human geography, and the clinical and biomedical sciences.
While the MoU will see further studies carried out on health-related afflictions like dengue, paediatric eye disease and diabetes among other illnesses/diseases in the country, Monash University Malaysia’s president and pro vicechancellor Prof Andrew Walker hopes the partnership will see better policies being developed for the health and wellbeing of the middleincome communities in Malaysia.
Other plus points include the appointment of leading public health professionals as Seaco Scientific Advisory Group members. These appointed representatives will be tasked to support future collaborations at district, state, and national levels.
Additionally, Seaco’s position within Monash University Malaysia’s Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences will also provide opportunities for informal training and award programmes to MOH employees.
“Today is a small, yet significant step moving towards our aim to prioritise the importance of health in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
On the whole, the minister said he hoped to see meaningful research outturn from this collaboration.
For more information on the MoU, visit www.monash.edu.my/ research