UMS students to lead youth health drive
Published on: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Published on: Tue, Apr 22, 2025 Text Size: Dr Asmady (third from left) after unveiling the FSSK x ANMS campaign logo with Dr Latif Lai (second from left) and Dr Elaine. Kota Kinabalu: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students are set to become ambassadors of youth health through a six-month campaign aimed at reshaping attitudes and behaviours linked to physical activity, nutrition and healthy living. The initiative is led by the UMS-Unicef Communication for Development (C4D) Research Unit, in collaboration with the State Health Department. It will feature peer-led activities and social media interventions across the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK). Students will actively promote key health messages and model healthy practices. UMS-Unicef C4D Research Unit head Dr Latif Lai said the campaign, called FSSK x ANMS, aligns with the Ministry of Health's Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS). It aims to improve student well-being and empower undergraduates to become advocates of positive change among their peers. 'This campaign is a great opportunity for students to lead by example. They can be the voice of a healthier youth generation,' he said. The campaign was inspired by a preliminary study involving 360 undergraduates, which revealed significant gaps in knowledge and practices related to exercise and nutrition. While many students were aware of the Malaysian Healthy Plate concept, most admitted to not following it in their daily meals. The study found that 77pc of students failed to meet the recommended weekly minutes of moderate exercise. Additionally, 90pc lacked accurate knowledge of the daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables, and 77pc consumed only one to two servings per day. The Malaysian Healthy Plate recommends each main meal consist of half a plate of fruits and vegetables, one-quarter protein and one-quarter carbohydrates. 'This shows that awareness alone is not enough. We need our students to help drive real behavioural change among their peers,' said Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Dean Professor Dr Asmady Idris during a recent campaign briefing. He added that insights gained from this campaign could lead to its expansion across the university or even statewide in collaboration with the Sabah Health Department. Student leaders who attended the briefing shared feedback that will shape the campaign's upcoming activities. These include on-campus engagement sessions, student-led discussions and awareness campaigns through digital platforms. Also present at the briefing were Health Education Division Senior Assistant Director Razmin Ramli, Sabah Health Promotion Branch head Nor Saadah Omar, Nutrition Branch head Shahrulnaz Norhazli Nazri and Unicef's Programme Specialist for Sabah, Dr Elaine Kong, alongside faculty staff, research fellows and student representatives. The FSSK x ANMS campaign is scheduled to begin at the end of April and will run for six months.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Sabah's silent health threat
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah could face the next major infectious disease outbreak if nothing is done to strengthen biosurveillance and reduce human-wildlife contact, according to an expert. Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Biotechnology Research Institute researcher Prof Dr Vijay Kumar said the state's environmental richness was its strength and also its greatest vulnerability with emerging infectious diseases. He said Sabah's natural wealth was extraordinary, but that same biodiversity made it a hotspot for potential disease spillovers. 'We're seeing more pathogens jump from animals to humans – not just in isolated cases, but across multiple fronts. From zoonotic malaria to emerging coronaviruses and outbreaks in livestock, the risks are real, growing, and deeply concerning. 'We cannot afford to be complacent. Every delay in surveillance and every missed opportunity to act early increases the risk of another major outbreak – one that can cripple our healthcare system, disrupt livelihoods and damage Sabah's reputation as a biodiversity haven,' he added in a statement yesterday. Prof Vijay said the rising threats underscored the importance of adopting the One Health approach, which integrated human, animal and environmental health to tackle zoonotic diseases in a coordinated and proactive way. Sabah is seeing a rise in diseases that can jump from animals to humans, like malaria from macaques, coronaviruses from bats, diseases in poultry, and infections from rodents, mainly because people are moving into natural areas more. He highlighted the danger posed by the plasmodium knowlesi, a malaria parasite spread from macaques via mosquitoes, which formed the bulk of malaria cases in the state. Prof Vijay said researchers have also discovered several new coronaviruses in bat populations, on the back of the SARS and Covid-19 global outbreaks. Infectious disease risks also extend to the agricultural sector, as evidenced by the 2018 outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in the state, which led to the culling of thousands of poultry. 'While no human cases were confirmed, antibodies detected in individuals pointed to previous exposure. 'Other poultry diseases, such as the Newcastle Disease Virus and Infectious Bronchitis Virus, continue to challenge farmers as local strains render existing vaccines less effective,' he added. Sabah's animal health concerns are not limited to land-based species. In the waters around Mabul Island, rising cases of sea turtle fibropapillomatosis, a tumour-causing herpesvirus, are threatening endangered marine life. Prof Vijay said African Swine Fever has decimated both wild and farmed pig populations, disrupting ecosystems and affecting traditional hunting in indigenous communities. 'Urban and environmental threats are just as pressing. Soil- and water-borne infections such as melioidosis and leptospirosis remain endemic in Sabah, while rats in urban centres have been found carrying bartonella bacteria, posing a largely unnoticed risk to city dwellers,' he added. Prof Vijay noted that many of these risks arise from unregulated human activities. 'Poaching, illegal wildlife trade, agricultural expansion, and deforestation are increasing our contact with animals that may carry unknown pathogens,' he stated. He cautioned that large-scale development projects like Indonesia's new capital Nusantara in East Kalimantan may further fragment Borneo's ecosystems, intensifying human-wildlife conflict and accelerating the spread of new diseases. To counter these threats, Prof Vijay and his colleague Assoc Prof Dr Zarina Amin called for a stronger One Health framework to, among others, enhance genomic surveillance, incorporate AI to detect emerging pathogens early and increase awareness among the rural and indigenous communities. They also recommended promoting conservation-focused land-use policies to reduce ecological disruptions, and they urged the government to prioritise long-term investment in biosurveillance. 'Investing in biosurveillance is no longer optional. It's essential if we want to protect not only public health but also Sabah's economy, food security and conservation efforts,' Prof Vijay said. He also called for the formation of an interdisciplinary task force to unite virologists, conservationists, AI specialists, public health experts and policymakers to drive One Health collaboration in the state.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- New Straits Times
New task force needed to monitor animal-to-human disease risks, say experts
KOTA KINABALU: Experts from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) have called for the formation of an interdisciplinary task force to address the growing threat of zoonotic diseases in Borneo. They said the task force should include representatives from government agencies, academic institutions and conservation bodies. In a joint statement, UMS Biotechnology Research Institute's Professor Dr Vijay Kumar and Associate Professor Dr Zarina Amin said that while Borneo's biodiversity is unparalleled, increasing infrastructural development has raised the risk of zoonotic spillovers - where pathogens jump from animals to humans. "In Sabah, where human-wildlife interactions are frequent, biosurveillance must remain a priority. "The spread of infectious diseases not only threatens public health, but also tourism, agriculture and conservation efforts." A well-documented example is Plasmodium knowlesi malaria, transmitted from macaques to humans by mosquitoes. In addition, several previously unknown coronaviruses - similar to SARS and COVID-19 - have been detected in bats in Sabah, highlighting the risks faced by tourists and locals visiting bat-inhabited caves. Sabah's poultry farms have also experienced outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in 2018, while neighbouring Sarawak continues to battle rabies, which accounts for nearly all reported cases in Malaysia. Livestock and wildlife diseases are an increasing concern. Strains of Newcastle Disease Virus and Infectious Bronchitis Virus have impacted Sabah's poultry industry, while African Swine Fever has devastated wild and farmed pig populations. Marine wildlife is not spared either. On Mabul Island and surrounding waters, an increasing number of sea turtles are suffering from fibropapillomatosis, a herpesvirus-linked disease. Melioidosis, which thrives in Sabah's tropical soil, has infected humans and wildlife - including orangutans and macaques. Leptospirosis also remains a persistent threat. "Looking ahead, large-scale developments such as Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan could significantly disrupt Borneo's ecosystems. "Increased deforestation, agricultural expansion, and hydropower projects will likely escalate human-wildlife conflict, habitat loss and disease spillovers." The experts urged for a strengthened One Health approach, combining genomic surveillance, AI analytics, public education, enforcement against poaching, sustainable land-use policies, and better policy integration and funding.
Daily Express
6 days ago
- Daily Express
Stop the blame game, solve UMS water crisis together
Published on: Thursday, June 05, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jun 05, 2025 Text Size: KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Assistant Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Fairuz Renddan has urged all parties involved in the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) water crisis to stop blaming each other and focus on finding a solution. 'Enough with finger-pointing and turning social media into a battlefield,' he said in a statement. Fairuz stressed that the Water Department and UMS must work together constructively instead of publicly shifting blame. 'They should meet, talk, go on-site, and address the issue maturely. Emotional exchanges online won't solve the problem,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
