One woman’s dedication towards combating the spread of infectious diseases

Dato’ Professor Dr. Adeeba Kamarulzaman, presently an ASM fellow who specializes in HIV/AIDS, has made an impact on the prevention, treatment and research of infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS for more than 30 years.

In her capacity, she currently serves as a Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases under the Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya and is the founder of the Infectious Diseases Unit and Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA) at the University of Malaya, one of the few centres in the region that is dedicated towards HIV/AIDS research.

Her work and contribution to the nation has led to a stark reduction in the rate of new HIV/AIDS infections by 50% in the past decade, through a combination of opioid substitution therapy and needle syringe exchange program.

Today, Professor Dr. Adeeba’s work has been recognised in the many awards she received and she was also named as one of the Top 20 most influential female scientists in the Muslim World and is possibly the only Malaysian to have been profiled in both The Lancet (ISI-indexed, IF = 45.217) and Science (IF = 33.611).

In an insightful conversation with #biztechasia Professor Dr. Adeeba speaks passionately about her work to combat HIV/AIDS, including the importance of creating awareness of these infectious diseases amongst the general population. She also shares what winning the 2022 Merdeka Award for Health, Science & Technology means to her and how this win is a tribute to Malaysia and its people.

During the conversation, Prof. Dr. Adeeba speaks about:

Her journey to becoming a doctor and subsequently specializing in infectious diseases
Where Malaysia stands in combating infectious diseases, especially HIV and AIDS and key concerns in public health in the country right now
What keeps her passion for medicine burning all these years