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Malaysia Business
Malaysia Business
2025-06-09
NCKU - UM Joint Webinar 2025
2025-06-09
A recent joint webinar between the Dept. of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Taiwan, and the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia, brought together researchers and healthcare experts to explore pressing public health issues that affect people’s daily lives—from workplace infections to the future of safety equipment and COVID-19’s lasting impact on healthcare workers.
The 2.5-hour webinar, organized by the NCKU Overseas Hub in Malaysia, was streamed live via Cisco Webex and Facebook Live, with Dr. Kwong Soke Chee (UM) serving as moderator. The session featured five insightful presentations. Here are the key highlights.
1. Prof. How-Ran Guo (NCKU)
Topic: Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Clean Room Workers
Prof. Guo shared findings that workers in high-tech “clean rooms,” especially women, often suffer from UTIs due to limited access to bathrooms during long work shifts. His team developed a health education program that helped reduce infection rates by encouraging more frequent water intake and restroom use.
Next Steps: Expand this successful intervention to other industries with similar working conditions.
2. Dr. Lim Yin Cheng (UM)
Topic: Development of Respiratory Fit Test Panel for Malaysia
Dr. Lim’s research revealed that many imported N95 masks don’t properly fit Malaysian facial structures, reducing their effectiveness. His team created a Malaysian-specific fit panel based on 3,000 participants across the country.
Next Steps: Collaborate with local manufacturers to produce better-fitting masks that improve protection for healthcare workers and the public.
3. Mr. Kun-Hua Li (NCKU)
Topic: Occupational Exposure to Carbon Monoxide during Food Delivery
Mr. Li investigated how long hours spent on motorbikes expose food delivery workers to carbon monoxide, a dangerous gas. The study found higher-than-expected exposure levels, especially during traffic congestion.
Next Steps: Promote safety awareness and encourage policies for better ventilation masks or electric vehicles to reduce exposure risks.
4. Miss Haridah binti Alias (UM)
Topic: Knowledge and Perceived Risk Towards Early Vascular Aging (EVA) and Acceptance of Medication to Delay Vascular Aging among Malaysians
Miss Haridah presented survey results showing mixed feelings among Malaysians about taking daily preventive pills to delay blood vessel aging. While many supported the idea in principle, concerns about side effects and cost were common.
Next Steps: Conduct more public education and policy discussions to guide future preventive healthcare programs.
5. Dr. Lim Say Hiang (UM)
Topic: Long COVID among Healthcare Workers: Prevalence, factors and impacts at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)
Dr. Lim discussed his findings on how long COVID affects healthcare workers at UMMC. Many experienced fatigue, memory problems, and anxiety even months after recovering from COVID-19.
Next Steps: Develop support systems for affected staff, including counseling services and adjusted work duties.
Continuing the Collaboration
The NCKU–UM Joint Webinar showed how research can directly improve public health policies and working conditions. Speakers emphasized the need for stronger research collaboration, industry partnerships, and public awareness campaigns to turn findings into real-world solutions.
The brief event information is as follows:
- Organizer : NCKU Overseas Hub in Malaysia
- Collaborator : NCKU (Dept. of Occupational and Environmental Health) and Universiti Malaya (Dept. of Social and Preventive Medicine)
- Attendees : Academicians, researchers, laboratory staff, and postgraduate students.
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