Latest news with #JeffreyCheah
BusinessToday
2 days ago
- Health
- BusinessToday
Let's Break It Down, Let's End Hepatitis
By Dr Chook Jack Bee Every year, World Hepatitis Day on July 28 reminds us of a silent threat that continues to claim lives daily, viral hepatitis. This year's theme, 'Hepatitis: Let's Break It Down', urges us to dismantle the financial, social, and systemic barriers that delay diagnosis, stigmatise patients, and hinder access to care. It is time to confront hepatitis with facts, science, and action. Viral hepatitis is responsible for most severe liver diseases like liver cancer and liver cirrhosis (liver hardening that may result in liver failure). Effective prevention and cure are available for hepatitis B and C, respectively. Yet, 3,500 lives are lost every day due to the severe liver diseases. Alarmingly, most people infected with hepatitis do not even know it. They carry the virus unknowingly, allowing it to progress silently into end-stage liver disease. Dr Chook Jack Bee As a biomedical researcher and scientist, my team and I have been investigating hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA for years, especially its connection to liver cancer and cirrhosis. To do this, we developed universal primer sets that work across all HBV strains, a crucial advancement in enabling laboratories to amplify and sequence the full HBV genome, especially in resource-limited settings where accessibility to genotype testing is rare. One of our key findings is that HBV DNA modification in certain HBV strains plays a significant role in how the virus behaves and may contribute to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer development. This could be a useful tool for early identification of who is at risk of progression to liver cancer, and therefore a more closely management could ensue. We also uncovered that consuming coffee 3 cups per day may reduce HBV viral replication, offering protective benefits against severe liver diseases in people with chronic hepatitis B. First, do not let cultural beliefs, misconceptions, or fear of a positive result stops you from getting tested. Early detection is the key to preventing liver cancer and accessing life-saving treatment. Hepatitis B is preventable through vaccination, especially the birth dose vaccine given within 24 hours of birth. Anti-HBV treatment is yet highly curable, but taking it may delay, if not prevent, progression to liver cancer. Good news is that hepatitis C is now >90% curable and the treatment is subsidised by Malaysia Government. We need to rethink the strategies for accessible testing for hepatitis B and C, especially in rural and high-burden communities. Providing diverse testing options can encourage greater participation in screening. An integrated approach of incorporating hepatitis testing into general health screenings like those for hypertension and diabetes, may further increase participation. Let's not wait. Let's break it down. Let's end hepatitis! The author is a Senior Lecturer at Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School & Sunway University Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences Related
The Star
01-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Between the eagle and the dragon
NO TACO Theory was on his table, but renowned economist Prof Jeffrey D. Sachs thinks that when it comes to the crunch, US President Donald Trump will backtrack on his tariff policies. 'TACO' stands for 'Trump Always Chickens Out', and like the Wall Street traders trading the acronym for laughs, Prof Sachs believes that the US president cannot keep his trade policy as he had announced it on April 2. 'You know, all of the world is confronting this sudden change of the United States' trade policy. But I personally don't believe that the tariffs are going to stick the way that they were announced. Already a lot has been rolled back,' he explains. For one, he adds, he is confident that the courts in the US will find some of the trade policy illegal because it was 'based on declarations of emergencies that don't really exist.' Last Wednesday, the country's Court of International Trade ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority and blocked his tariffs from going into effect. According to the trade court, the emergency law invoked by Trump did not give him unilateral authority to impose tariffs on the world's countries. And although the court then allowed the US administration to keep collecting tariffs while the White House appeals against the ruling, many investors, as AFP reported, feel that Trump 'does not have a very high tolerance for market pressure and will be quick to back off when tariffs cause pain.' For Prof Sachs, the question lies on whether Trump has the authority to introduce tariffs all by himself; in his view, that is the job of the US Congress. Good neighbours Prof Sachs was in Malaysia to speak in a special dialogue titled 'Asean amidst the shifting global order', hosted by Sunway University founder and chancellor Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah ahead of the 46th Asean Summit last week. The dialogue was attended by ambassadors, high commissioners, senior bankers, corporate leaders as well as political and government leaders such as Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming and Subang Jaya state assembly person Michelle Ng. The dialogue was attended by ambassadors, high commissioners, senior bankers, corporate leaders as well as political and government leaders such as Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming and Subang Jaya state assembly person Michelle Ng. During his keynote address, Prof Sachs underscored Asean's pivotal role as a regional bloc in navigating geopolitical uncertainties, highlighting the urgency of regional cooperation in areas such as climate action, economic resilience and multilateral diplomacy. Calling on leaders to harness Asean's collective strength to foster peace, sustainability and long-term prosperity, the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor in Sustainable Development at Sunway University and president of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) says: 'Asean needs to do two basic things: one is to strengthen the relations within the Asean group, and the second is to strengthen Asean's relations as a group with other partners. 'China will be a major partner, and the GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council), will be a major partner. So, these are two major economic partnerships for Asean.' He notes that Asean is not alone in the tumult of the changing global trade. 'Every place I travel to, I hear the same question. And most of the world simply wants to go on with a rule-based trading system under the WTO (World Trade Organisation) and get the US to go back to that rule-based trading system. 'Most importantly, whatever actions the US takes, which will be detrimental to the US itself, should not impede trade among the rest of the world's countries. No other region should follow the US into this kind of protectionism,' he says. Crucially, he stresses, the US should not try to make Asean choose between it and China. 'That would be unfair, but if Asean were forced to choose, you would choose your neighbour, China, obviously. 'Of course, Asean countries should have good relations with all parts of the world. The goal should be openness to all. So the idea should not be an alliance. The idea should be that Asean, which is a very open region in terms of trade, should be able to trade with the US, and with Europe, with China, and so forth. 'But Asean cannot do without good economic relations with China. That's not even imaginable. So the US should not force or try to force Asean into making choices. 'And if the US tries to put on secondary sanctions that impede Asean's economic relations with China, they would have to be resisted, actually.' As Prof Sachs puts it, 'neighbours need to trade with each other and neighbours need to have common infrastructure.' 'So, at the same time, Asean should work closely with China on physical infrastructure and connectivity. 'The Belt and Road Initiative is a very important, positive initiative. It says, put in fast rail, put in renewable energy, put in digital systems. That's to everybody's mutual benefit.' Ultimately, we need to keep calm, he stresses. 'Keep calm. Don't get into a conflict. We don't want to be in the middle of any conflict. 'There is no reason for a conflict at all, fundamentally. It's a waste of time.' Prof Sachs fully believes that despite the disruptions, turmoil and risks, there are reasons to be optimistic. 'The world is disrupted and changing rapidly, and it is changing in frightening ways on the surface. But I want to argue that below the surface, the deeper trends are positive. And not only positive, but powerful as well. 'For one, the notion of sustainable development, which Sunway University champions, is on the right track. 'There is a lot of work to do, but we are on the path that I believe the world is going to achieve the goals. The world needs to achieve it; it can achieve it, and that combination of both need and capacity, to my mind, suggests that we are going to find our way forward.' 'A cultural revolution' At the core of the shifting global order is an important fact, Prof Sachs stresses: Asia has ended a long period of domination by Europe and the US in the global economy, and the world is now multipolar. 'Asia has restored its place as the centre of gravity of the world economy – the place that Asia has had for most of the last 2,000 years, actually, with the interruption of the period during the Industrial Revolution and Western imperialism. 'Because what has happened is that a world that was profoundly divided by power and technology is now truly a multipolar world; one in which the US and Europe, no doubt, remain very sophisticated and powerful societies, but no longer the dominant societies of the world. 'We've entered the age of multipolarity. That's a big challenge, but it's also a wonderful fact and great opportunity.' Prof Sachs says the US is going through a 'Cultural Revolution', which he believes could last around 20 years. As he points out further, the US market for imports is only about 13% of world imports now. 'So you could close off the US market entirely, and the rest of the world would figure out how to get along pretty well. China, in the meantime, will play a huge, important and positive role for this region, he notes. Still, it is not the end of US' role in the world, says Prof Sachs. 'We are in what I call America's Cultural Revolution. That's not a good thing. Cultural revolutions do not go well. They set back China for 20 years. 'But the US is not lost lost forever. We just need to get through our cultural revolution.'
BusinessToday
27-05-2025
- Business
- BusinessToday
ASEAN Centrality A Key Cornerstone For Regional Diplomacy, Jeffrey Sachs
A special dialogue titled 'ASEAN amidst the Shifting Global Order' was hosted by Sunway University founder and chancellor Tan Sri Dato' Seri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO ahead of the 46 th ASEAN Summit and was attended by esteemed guests such as Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming, Subang Jaya state assembly person Michelle Ng, as well as ambassadors, high commissioners, senior bankers and corporate leaders. Renowned economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs, the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor in Sustainable Development at Sunway University and President of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN), engaged in a dynamic discussion moderated by Sunway University pro-chancellor Professor Dato' Sri Dr. Idris Jala, on ASEAN's strategic direction and Malaysia's chairmanship. Sachs, who has advised three UN Secretaries-General including His Excellency António Guterres, outlined the importance of preserving ASEAN centrality as a cornerstone of regional diplomacy, enabling Southeast Asia to shape cooperation and security amidst major power rivalries. During his keynote address, Sachs also underscored ASEAN's pivotal role as a regional bloc in navigating geopolitical uncertainties, highlighting the urgency of regional cooperation in areas such as climate action, economic resilience and multilateral diplomacy. He called on leaders to harness ASEAN's collective strength to foster peace, sustainability and long-term prosperity. 'ASEAN needs to do two basic things: one is to strengthen the relations within the ASEAN group, and the second is to strengthen ASEAN's relations as a group with other partners. In this week's summit, China will be a major partner, and the GCC, the Gulf Cooperation Council, will be a major partner. So, these are two major economic partnerships for ASEAN. I think a lot of deals will come forward from the diplomacy that's underway in the next few days,' said Sachs. In his welcoming remarks, Tan Sri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah said: 'The challenges that stand before us are immense and formidable, but our shared aspirations in ASEAN for a more inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future is a source of hope and positivity in these times of turmoil and turbulence. I am a firm believer in the proposition that the world works best when it works together.' 'From a relatively young age, I adopted my conviction that every individual must have a higher purpose in life. For me, that higher calling is a commitment to give back to society in a meaningful and impactful manner and nation-building through quality education and knowledge sharing. Today's presentation by Professor Sachs is a prime example of our mission to bring cutting-edge research and world-class expertise to Malaysia and the wider Asian region,' added Cheah. Related
Korea Herald
15-05-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Sunway University Shaping the Future of Healthcare Education
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunway University proudly announces the launch of the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School, a bold new initiative that signals a transformative leap in Malaysia's medical education landscape. With a firm focus on teaching and research excellence, ethical leadership, and pioneering innovation, the medical school is set to equip the next generation of healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills, and compassion needed to address the evolving demands of global healthcare systems. The launch of the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School follows the establishment of the Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre (JCBC) in Cambridge, reinforcing Tan Sri Sir Jeffrey Cheah's commitment to advancing world-class education and biomedical research. The launch ceremony on 7 May 2025 at Sunway University was officiated by Minister of Higher Education, YB Dato' Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, and attended by Tan Sri Sir Jeffrey Cheah, Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group. The event also welcomed the presence of international ambassadors, underscoring the global significance of this initiative. A highlight of the launch was the White Coat Ceremony for the inaugural cohort of medical students, who also took the Hippocratic Oath, a symbolic and meaningful rite of passage marking their official induction into the medical profession. The Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme at Sunway University offers a dynamic, future-ready medical curriculum anchored by immersive clinical training at Sunway Medical Centre, a leading private quaternary hospital. Here, students gain hands-on experience in patient care, translating medical knowledge into real-world practical skills. The programme also fosters inter professional collaboration, preparing students to work effectively within diverse healthcare teams for a holistic understanding of patient care. With a strong emphasis on clinical and translational research, sustainability and planetary health in medicine, digital healthcare technology including precision medicine and application of artificial intelligence in medicine, students are equipped to lead in tech-enabled healthcare environments. Beyond the hospital, the programme encourages community engagement through initiatives like the Desa Mentari Project, nurturing socially responsible medical professionals dedicated to service and impact. Professor Sibrandes Poppema, President of Sunway University, expressed his enthusiasm for this landmark development: "The launch of the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School represents a pivotal step forward in our mission to shape future-ready healthcare professionals. Our goal is to develop doctors and researchers who not only excel in medical knowledge and clinical skills but who are also equipped to lead with integrity, empathy, and innovation. This school will be a catalyst for transformative research, global collaboration, and sustainable healthcare solutions that benefit communities in Malaysia and beyond." With its future-ready medical curriculum, state-of-the-art clinical training, digital fluency, and global research collaborations, the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School is set to become a leading institution in medical education across Asia. Its launch marks a new era of medical education innovation—one that supports the development of sustainable, technology-enhanced, and community-driven healthcare solutions for the future.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sunway University Shaping the Future of Healthcare Education
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunway University proudly announces the launch of the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School, a bold new initiative that signals a transformative leap in Malaysia's medical education landscape. With a firm focus on teaching and research excellence, ethical leadership, and pioneering innovation, the medical school is set to equip the next generation of healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills, and compassion needed to address the evolving demands of global healthcare systems. The launch of the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School follows the establishment of the Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre (JCBC) in Cambridge, reinforcing Tan Sri Sir Jeffrey Cheah's commitment to advancing world-class education and biomedical research. The launch ceremony on 7 May 2025 at Sunway University was officiated by Minister of Higher Education, YB Dato' Seri Diraja Dr. Zambry Abd Kadir, and attended by Tan Sri Sir Jeffrey Cheah, Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group. The event also welcomed the presence of international ambassadors, underscoring the global significance of this initiative. A highlight of the launch was the White Coat Ceremony for the inaugural cohort of medical students, who also took the Hippocratic Oath, a symbolic and meaningful rite of passage marking their official induction into the medical profession. The Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme at Sunway University offers a dynamic, future-ready medical curriculum anchored by immersive clinical training at Sunway Medical Centre, a leading private quaternary hospital. Here, students gain hands-on experience in patient care, translating medical knowledge into real-world practical skills. The programme also fosters inter professional collaboration, preparing students to work effectively within diverse healthcare teams for a holistic understanding of patient care. With a strong emphasis on clinical and translational research, sustainability and planetary health in medicine, digital healthcare technology including precision medicine and application of artificial intelligence in medicine, students are equipped to lead in tech-enabled healthcare environments. Beyond the hospital, the programme encourages community engagement through initiatives like the Desa Mentari Project, nurturing socially responsible medical professionals dedicated to service and impact. Professor Sibrandes Poppema, President of Sunway University, expressed his enthusiasm for this landmark development: "The launch of the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School represents a pivotal step forward in our mission to shape future-ready healthcare professionals. Our goal is to develop doctors and researchers who not only excel in medical knowledge and clinical skills but who are also equipped to lead with integrity, empathy, and innovation. This school will be a catalyst for transformative research, global collaboration, and sustainable healthcare solutions that benefit communities in Malaysia and beyond." With its future-ready medical curriculum, state-of-the-art clinical training, digital fluency, and global research collaborations, the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School is set to become a leading institution in medical education across Asia. Its launch marks a new era of medical education innovation—one that supports the development of sustainable, technology-enhanced, and community-driven healthcare solutions for the future. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Sunway University Sign in to access your portfolio
