 |
|---|
Epidemiology & Biostatistics Unit
| Introduction | Research |
The Unit of Epidemiology & Biostatistics began as the Rural Health Research Division in August 1967 and was one of the components of the reorganized Division of Medical Zoology. The Director of the Institute Dr (Dato') Ungku Omar - Ahmad served as Head of the new Division and his Deputy Head Dr AJ Beck was the Resident Co - ordinator of the Hooper Foundation / University of California International Centre for Medical & Research Training (ICMRT) project at the IMR.
In the 70's research was mainly geared towards infections diseases. In the 80's, it was identified that some of the non-infectious disease rates were surging upwards especially cancers, hypertension diabetes and cardio-vascular diseases. The lifestyles of people were fast changing and so were the disease trends, though the infectious diseases like cholera, typhoid, measles, chickenpox, diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections always co-existed. Vector borne diseases like Dengue/DHF and malaria was also increasing. In the 90's, with much development, the disease patterns were also changing towards the chronic diseases whereby the cardiovascular diseases, accidents, cancers, diabetes, hypertension, environmental pollution and stress related problems started to show up. Not forgetting the new diseases like the HIV / AIDS, the drug menace, hepatitis adding on to the re-emerging diseases like tuberculosis and malaria.
Since the 1980's and 1990's the division has mainly concentrated its efforts on the national priority areas of research, training and staff development, conducting research methodology courses for local, national and international participants. Consultancies in epidemiology, research design and methodology has been one of the main functions of the division. In the early 1990's the division developed a new linkage with the University of Ottawa, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for human resource development.
The thrust areas of research have been geared towards identifying risk factors of cancers, adolescent health problems with some work being done on risk factors of environmental exposures. Risk factor studies on various cancers like the nasopharyngeal cancer, liver cancer and bladder cancer have been carried out in the late 90's. Diet, environmental exposures and occupational exposures have been looked into in detail.
Some of the adolescent health and social problems were studied in the schools in Kuala Lumpur. The results have helped the Ministry of Education to introduce some useful intervention programmes in the schools.
The current concerns are predominantly the lifestyle diseases, such as AIDS, substance dependence, trauma and accidents the care for the elderly populations, mental health problems and diseases related to environmental changes and industrial hazards. At the same time the resurgence of communicable diseases like tuberculosis and opportunistic infections will make the future health problems more complex. The challenge for epidemiological research lies in providing information in formulating and implementing prevention programmes focused on reducing known risk factors and early detection and treatment of disease.
Workshop on Epidemiologic Methods in Public Health Research. 1 - 5 OCT 2001, Venue: IMR
Class in session
The Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics will play a central role in providing support to the various centres in IMR in the identification and application of research methodologies as well as training in epidemiology and medical statistics which are tools and foundations for quality research. Quality research will contribute to Ministry of Health's effort in constantly upgrading the standards and quality of health for all Malaysians.
Activities in training include conducting workshops for scientific presentations and publications. The unit also provides training in epidemiologic methods, meta-analysis, medical statistics and hands-on training sessions in the use of analytical software e.g SPSS and EPI Info, EXCEL, ACCESS, POWER POINT etc.
The Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics will provide support in developing research design and methodology for research proposals.
Research design will focus on health surveys, clinical trials and meta-analysis. The Unit will actively participate in epidemics and outbreak investigations.
Local
• University Malaya
• National University Malaysia
• University Putra Malaysia
• Unimas
• University Sains Malaysia
• State government hospitals
• Regional Public Health Laboratories
International
• CDC, Atlanta
• University of Ottawa , Canada
• National University of Canberra , Australia
• University of Adelaide , Australia
• Emory University , U.S.A
• World Health Organisation
• Seameo Tropmed Centres
• Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED)
• Mahidol University Thailand
• University of Philippines
• University of Indonesia
• National Institutes of Health , Maryland , U.S.A.
• Institute of Epidemiology , Boston , U.S.A.
| Introduction | Research |
