Amendments to the Drug Dependents Act were tabled in Parliament last week, resulting in swift pushback from drug policy experts that these amendments were unscientific and in fact could further harm people with substance use disorders. We speak to Palani Narayanan, Director of the Drug Policy Program Malaysia to explore what a health- and rights-based approach should look like, especially as advocates continue to push for decriminalisation of drug use. 



Image Credit: Shutterstock

Amendments to the Drug Dependents Act were tabled in Parliament last week, resulting in swift pushback from drug policy experts that these amendments were unscientific and in fact could further harm people with substance use disorders. We speak to Palani Narayanan, Director of the Drug Policy Program Malaysia to explore what a health- and rights-based approach should look like, especially as advocates continue to push for decriminalisation of drug use.&nbsp;Image Credit: Shutterstock

Wander and be enlightened by the endlessly fascinating inner universe that is the human body. We speak with experts, Nobel laureates, cancer survivors and healthcare workers who share their unique perspectives on wellness and living and the latest medical research.

Health & Living

People With Drug Addiction Need Help, Not Imprisonment

When a baby is born, his or her weight isn’t just a matter of trivial curiosity, or a fun fact shared by the proud parents. A baby’s weight and size at birth lays the foundation for the child’s future growth and development. Therefore, trends in recent years showing a deterioration in birth weight of Malaysian babies have raised concerns among healthcare professionals. In 2022, almost 13 in every 100 live births were low birth weight babies, and this number has been steadily increasing over the previous years. We sit down with Dr Azanna Ahmad Kamar, Consultant Neonatologist from Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, to look at the complex factors leading to low birth weight trends. 


Image Credit: Shutterstock

When a baby is born, his or her weight isn’t just a matter of trivial curiosity, or a fun fact shared by the proud parents. A baby’s weight and size at birth lays the foundation for the child’s future growth and development. Therefore, trends in recent years showing a deterioration in birth weight of Malaysian babies have raised concerns among healthcare professionals. In 2022, almost 13 in every 100 live births were low birth weight babies, and this number has been steadily increasing over the previous years. We sit down with Dr Azanna Ahmad Kamar, Consultant Neonatologist from Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, to look at the complex factors leading to low birth weight trends.&nbsp; Image Credit: Shutterstock

More Babies Born With Low Birth Weight

When you take any medication - whether it’s a painkiller or your hypertension pills - your body responds in a unique way due to your genes. This can explain why some medications may not seem as effective, requiring your doctor to change it or adjust the dosage. Or why you have certain side effects while others don’t. The field of pharmacogenomics uses information about a person's genetic makeup, or genome, to study that individual’s response to drugs. How could pharmacogenomics help to improve personalised medicine, as well as prevent problems from adverse drug reactions. Dr Rebecca Tay, Co-Organising Chairperson of the 1st Malaysia Pharmacogenomics Summit 2024, brings her expertise in pharmacy and molecular medicine to this discussion.



Image Credit: Katy Pack via Shutterstock

When you take any medication - whether it’s a painkiller or your hypertension pills - your body responds in a unique way due to your genes. This can explain why some medications may not seem as effective, requiring your doctor to change it or adjust the dosage. Or why you have certain side effects while others don’t. The field of pharmacogenomics uses information about a person's genetic makeup, or genome, to study that individual’s response to drugs. How could pharmacogenomics help to improve personalised medicine, as well as prevent problems from adverse drug reactions. Dr Rebecca Tay, Co-Organising Chairperson of the 1st Malaysia Pharmacogenomics Summit 2024, brings her expertise in pharmacy and molecular medicine to this discussion.Image Credit: Katy Pack via Shutterstock

The Right Medicine For The Right Person

Medicines, diagnostic tests, and vaccines are lifesaving but only if people can access them. From the point of research and development all the way to the final product, there are multiple barriers which prevent those who need these lifesaving products most from accessing them. Joining us on the show today is Roz Scourse, policy advisor with the MSF Access Campaign. She is also the lead author of MSF Access Campaign’s latest report, Secrets Cost Lives: Transparency and Access to Medical Products, which we will also be diving into. 


Image credit: Shutterstock

Medicines, diagnostic tests, and vaccines are lifesaving but only if people can access them. From the point of research and development all the way to the final product, there are multiple barriers which prevent those who need these lifesaving products most from accessing them. Joining us on the show today is Roz Scourse, policy advisor with the MSF Access Campaign. She is also the lead author of MSF Access Campaign’s latest report, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.msfaccess.org/secrets-cost-lives-transparency-and-access-medical-products">Secrets Cost Lives: Transparency and Access to Medical Products</a>, which we will also be diving into.&nbsp; Image credit: Shutterstock

People With Drug Addiction Need Help, Not Imprisonment

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