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With autism rates rising in Malaysia, more understanding is important to educate, understand and support these individuals so that they can lead fulfilling lives. In conjunction with World Autism Awareness Day, Dr Chow Suet Yin, Family Medicine Specialist, explains. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or simply autism, is often misunderstood and mistaken as a learning disorder. Instead, it is a neurodevelopmental disability which can range from mild to severe, and this year, World Autism Awareness Day shines a spotlight on this condition, with the theme “Moving from Surviving to Thriving: Awareness, Acceptance, Appreciation".[1] This theme is particularly moving as children with ASD often face stigma and are easily marginalised. As local data indicates a significant increase, with 589 children diagnosed in 2021 compared to only 99 in 2010[2], it is important that Malaysians learn more about this condition. ‘Autism can be diagnosed as early as 18 months and parents’ first concern is of

This ancient tradition uses a completely different approach from Western medicine. If you are curious to learn what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can do for you, Dr Ong Siew Siew, Clinician-in-Charge and Senior Chinese Medicine practitioner at IMU Healthcare’s Chinese Medicine Centre shares some insights. Many of us have friends who have tried Traditional Chinese Medicine before, with half of them singing their praises and the other half claiming that TCM is nothing more than people being gullible. Phrases like, “Why are you always having headaches? You should go and see my TCM guy, he’s very good!” or “Your immune system is not so good, TCM can help with that” are common, and so are dire warnings about TCM going wrong. So where is the truth? Even though most of us have heard of it before, it is difficult to get a firm grasp of what this ancient practice involves, and whether it can support our health and wellness. To help, Dr Ong Siew Siew, Senior Lecturer at the Centre For Compl

We are familiar with it as a disease portrayed in movies – seemingly distant and removed from everyday life. But tuberculosis is much closer to our realities than we think. Prof Dr James Koh, Head of Division of Medicine, School of Medicine, International Medical University, shares about tuberculosis to raise awareness about the disease many of us don’t think about. It’s a scene on screen we know all too well: the lonely figure with a chronic cough, slowly wasting away day after day, with a sickly pallor attributed to getting older or working too hard. Until the day the coughs get more violent and bring up blood – then there’s no mistaking it. Something is seriously wrong. Tuberculosis (TB), or “the consumption” as it was known because of the weight loss it caused, is a debilitating disease that we might erroneously think was left behind in the past. It’s true that the disease is old – it was discovered in the 1880s – however, it is still very much around today. TB is endemic in Malays

Cumulative cases of dengue infections for 2022 increased by more than 150% compared to the year before [1] and dengue deaths increased by 180% [2] . With statistics like these, it’s time to re-evaluate what we think we know, so we can do a better job at protecting ourselves against this endemic disease. Familiarity breeds contempt, as the saying goes, and with dengue being endemic in Malaysia, many seem to have grown complacent about the threat it poses. Others are misled by half-truths and misconceptions that may lead to more harm than good as they create a false sense of security that leaves people vulnerable to the actual dangers of dengue. Associate Professor Dr Verna Lee Kar Mun, Family Medicine Specialist at the International Medical University (IMU) To set the record straight, Associate Professor Dr Verna Lee Kar Mun, Family Medicine Specialist at the International Medical University (IMU), addresses 5 common misconceptions to clear the air. Myth No. 1: You can only get dengue