By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 19: The RM320 million Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) is 90 per cent complete as of August 2026, with its official launch expected in the third quarter of 2027 (3Q27).
Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn said this in his winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) complex today.
He also announced plans to expand disease surveillance under SIDC’s Disease Surveillance Programme (DSP), with eight surveillance sites to be established across Central Sarawak in 2027, including in Kapit, Sebauh and Mukah.
The initiative aims to strengthen disease monitoring and public health interventions across the region.
He noted that 13 exercises have already been conducted across Southern Sarawak, reaching over 1,000 participants. The exercise in Gedong Pangkor, witnessed by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, also marked the launch of SIDC’s first mobile laboratory.
“SIDC has also initiated a pharmacogenomic pilot study using PacBio human genome sequencing to identify genetic variants linked to adverse reactions to tuberculosis treatment, supporting more personalised antibiotic treatment based on individual genetic profiles,” he said.
On research and development, Sagah said SIDC had secured RM18.38 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to research African swine fever prevention and control, in collaboration with the University of Sheffield, the University of Liverpool and Thailand’s BIOTEC-NSTDA.
The centre will also receive RM270,000 through the UK-SEA Vax Hub Proof of Concept grant to investigate silica-based virus stabilisation for vaccine applications, further strengthening its international research collaborations and research and development capabilities.
Meanwhile, SIDC is investing in local scientific talent through PhD studies in Australia, supported by a combined RM1 million in funding, while RM290,000 in external funding has been secured for specialised training in epidemiology, genomics, genomic surveillance and vaccine research in the United Kingdom, he said. – DayakDaily
