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By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, July 17: Sarawak continues to establish itself as the leading hub in Malaysia for advancing public health medicine after winning the international bidding for the ‘21st International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria’ (ICTMM 2024), which will be held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here from September 19 to September 23, 2024.
According to a press handout, this marks Sarawak and Malaysia’s debut as the host for one of the world’s leading congresses on tropical medicine and Malaria.
“The congress, themed ‘Global Responses and Interdisciplinary Research Towards Eliminating Tropical Diseases’, will be jointly held with the 60th Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine Conference (MSPTM 2024) and the 10th Asean Congress of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology (10th ACTMP).
“As a highly coveted global event, ICTMM 2024 is expected to attract more than 2,000 scientists, physicians, researchers, policy makers, and international authorities to discuss current tropical medicine topics such as malaria, neglected diseases, drug resistance, travel medicine, and zoonoses (diseases and infections that are transmitted between animals and humans).”
Deputy Premier of Sarawak and Minister for Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, stated today at the ICTMM 2024 press conference held at BCCK that Sarawak’s tropical climate and geographical diversity provide various habitats for disease vectors, resulting in higher infection and transmission rates of tropical diseases.
“Sarawak’s Malaria Research Centre (MRC) by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) has been instrumental in studying the genetic diversity and transmission of malaria.
“Another establishment that we look forward to is the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC), which is expected to open by 2024.
“Tropical diseases will be a major study and for the centre to reach its full potential, the Sarawak Research and Development Council (SRDC) recently concluded its meetings with Imperial College London and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) in (University of) Basel, Switzerland earlier this month to discuss how they can collaborate and do research in Sarawak. We are highly optimistic that this collaboration will take place,” Dr Sim explained.
During the press conference, it was disclosed that from January to June of this year, Sarawak had recorded 421 cases of malaria, including 120 imported cases and 301 local zoonotic cases caused by ‘Plasmodium knowlesi’ (P. knowlesi).
In Malaysia, P. knowlesi is the most prevalent cause of human malaria. It is widespread throughout Southeast Asia. Typically, the parasite is carried by macaques and transmitted to humans via mosquito bites.
Meanwhile, ICTMM 2024 organising chairwoman Professor Dr Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain said: “ICTMM has been hosted for over 100 years, and our ultimate goal is to lead the world’s conversations and knowledge in tropical medicine through collaborations between national and international federated societies.”
Furthermore, International Federation of Tropical Medicine and Malaria president Professor Dr Malcolm Jones highlighted that Sarawak is a unique setting for studying malaria and other tropical diseases due to its diverse ecosystem and varied malaria transmission patterns, which provide a range of tropical medicine dynamics for investigation.
“The federation’s role is to ensure that modern society and the scientific and medical communities, especially in regions such as Asia Pacific are kept informed and connected for the global progress of tropical medicine,” he noted.
Additionally, Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) chief executive officer (CEO) Amelia Roziman pointed out that ICTMM 2024 is expected to fetch RM24.6 million in total economic impact, of which RM13.4 million will derive from direct delegate expenditure.
“An additional 1,952 jobs will arise from organising and hosting the congress,” she added.
“The international bidding for the Congress was a collaboration between the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (MSPTM), BESarawak, and Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).
“ICTMM 2024 is organised by the International Federation of Tropical Medicine and Malaria (IFTM) and MSTPM, with support from the Ministry of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Sarawak; Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak; Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Sarawak; Sarawak State Health Department; Unimas; BESarawak; and MyCEB.”
For more information on the Congress, email secretariat@ictmm2024.org or visit https://ictmm2024.org/. — DayakDaily
