Raising Awareness on AIDS
Featuring talks by eminent speakers, quizzes, and a Q&A session, the half-day event aimed to educate and raise awareness about AIDS.
13 December 2023
In conjunction with World AIDS Day, Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia’s (NUMed) Contagione Society organised a World AIDS Day Celebration on 2 December 2023. Aimed at educating and creating awareness about the disease, the half-day event featured a galore of activities, including talks by esteemed speakers, quizzes and a Question and Answer session.
According to the President of the Contagione Society, Mariam Abdulmonem, “The event was conceived to help break the ongoing stigma surrounding AIDS. It gave the Contagione Society a platform to encourage students like myself to learn how to fight against different stigmas that extend beyond HIV/AIDS. I hope that this will help us, particularly when we head to our respective workplaces, to promote healthy working environments where people can seek treatment with zero judgement.”
Three guest speakers were invited to share their knowledge and experiences on the disease with participants. Hon Prof Dr Edmund Ong, Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases and General Internal Medicine at NUMed, shared about “2025 UNAIDS Targets”. Dr Chang Chee Yik, an Infectious Diseases Physician at Hospital Sultanah Aminah was also on hand to talk about “The Current HIV Epidemic in Malaysia”. Meanwhile, Assoc Prof Dr Sivakumar Thurairajasingam from Monash University called for “Let Communities Lead”.
Other notable activities included a “Test Your Knowledge” session for the participants, a Question & Answer session with the guest speakers, and an open floor discussion, which gave participants and lecturers an opportunity to discuss related issues, engage with each other and learn more about the disease.
The event was positively received. Participants found the event to be very informative and insightful, and were able to gain a more comprehensive understanding of HIV/AIDS.
Mariam expressed her appreciation to all involved in organising the event. “I’m happy with the Contagione Society members’ efforts as well as the help we received from teaching fellows Dr Lau Siew Ping and Dr Wong Jing Wen. Thanks to these people, the event was a success!”
