THERE is a three-month old infant with a diagnosis of polio in the Intensive Care Unit of Hospital Tuaran in Sabah. This is the first native case in Malaysia since 1986. There are two issues that require systemic solutions – one, we need to raise our vaccination rates in the face of vaccine hesitancy, and…
YABhg Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Hj Mohd Ali today urged Malaysian families to protect their most vulnerable members – young children and ageing parents – from the dangers of influenza (the flu) by getting them vaccinated against the disease. She was speaking at the launch of the ‘Flu Prevention is an Act of Love’ campaign organised…
Dear Esteemed Members of MPA, friends and colleagues, First, as the newly elected president of MPA for 2019-2021, I would like to thank ALL of you for entrusting me with the responsibility to lead MPA for the next two years. My heartiest gratitude to MPA immediate past-president Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin and the Executive…
The introduction of technology in schools is possibly the biggest change that the global education system has gone through in the last decade. With children now having access to technology both at home and in school, are they overexposed and are there repercussions? Louis Lai Sheng Ren, a psychologist at International Psychology Centre says, “The…
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), worldwide obesity has tripled from 1975 to 2016. The scarier fact is that as of 2016, 41 million children under the age of five and 340 million children between the ages of five and 19 were reported to be overweight or obese. Malaysia has a lot to worry…
There is a need for parents and caregivers to recognise the changes in the growth patterns of children since they are an important indicator of overall health and well-being, Deputy Health Minister, Dr Lee Boon Chye, said today. He said they will need to work with healthcare professionals to ensure children affected by growth disorders…
Parents can now measure, record and track their child’s growth patterns directly from their smartphones On 27th November 2019, Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA) in collaboration with Novo Nordisk Pharma (M) Sdn. Bhd. (Novo Nordisk) launched the Growth Journey™ app, an innovative growth tracking digital solution that places parents at the heart of their children’s…
I READ with concern the statement by Deputy Prime Minister and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail that seven states in Malaysia have refused to amend state enactments that would raise the minimum age of marriage to 18 years for Muslim girls. It is hoped that the government’s…
Congratulations from the Malaysian Paediatric Association to Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Sham Kasim!
Drowning is a major cause of death in children in Malaysia; ranking second, after road traffic injuries, for children aged 1-18 years. 500 hundred children drown each year in our country. Although the majority of children drown in recreational sites like the sea, river and ponds, a sizable number drown at home or in hotel…