KUCHING: A total of 431 delegates from the Netherlands, Korea, Singapore and United Kingdom participated in the International Biohealth Science Conference (IBSC) 2018 held at Riverside Majestic Hotel here yesterday.
According to the Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi (Dr) Abang Johari Tun Openg, who was represented by his deputy, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, aptly themed ‘Emerging Infectious Disease’, the third IBSC will provide an opportunity for scientists and researchers to discuss important matters currently taking place in the field.
“It is the right platform to address the current emerging infectious diseases. New infections are likely to cause severe outbreaks in the near future, and for which very few or no medical treatment will be available.
“It is very imperative that any initiation or enhancement of the research and development processes will be geared to develop diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics for these diseases. “Behavioral interventions and filling of critical gaps in scientific knowledge are important to design better disease control measures,” said Johari in his text speech read by Uggah at the launching of IBSC 2018 held at Riverside Majestic Hotel here yesterday.
He added the Malaysian authorities were now concerned because infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), leptospirosis and rabies which the country successfully curbed in the past are making a comeback.
Johari noted that every year, more people died from TB rather than dengue and HIV-related complications. He said according to the Health Ministry there were 1,945 deaths caused by TB out of 25,739 cases in last year – a 4.7 percent increase compared to 1,696 deaths from 24,220 cases in 2015.
“In comparison, there were 237 dengue fever deaths from 101,357 cases last year and 336 deaths from 120,836 cases in 2015. “The increase in mortality rates is alarming and should be given the highest priority,” he stressed. Johari also pointed that it is crucial to address and assess any new disease that may emerge.
The Chief Minister said the group of experts representing a range of disciplines such as virology, microbiology, immunology, public health clinical medicine, mathematical and computational modeling, and product development among others were necessary to come together to finetune the methodology and the development of practical tools to assess any new disease that may emerge.
“Researchers who are involved in infectious diseases can enhance and update their knowledge beyond their expertise. “Through this conference, academicians, researchers, doctors and policy makers involved in infectious diseases-related issues will be able to discuss their experiences, exchange ideas and present their research findings to their peers of similar interest,” he said.
