As international travel increases, travellers are increasingly acquiring infectious diseases not endemic in their home countries. Sarawak is not known as a major hub for international trade and travel, but it is not spared from these disease outbreaks.

Currently, we are battling both rabies (since 2017) and COVID-19 (2020). In the past, we had Nipah virus outbreak (1999) and SARs (2002). Hand, Food and Mouth Diseases is a constant worry affecting mostly children. We still have cases of Japanese Encephalitis, Polio and Measles despite them being part of the National Immunisation Programme. It is therefore timely to have an awareness forum on communicable disease.

What are the differences between an outbreak, endemic, epidemic and pandemic? What are the actions that Sarawak government has taken to safeguard our health? These are some of the questions that were raised and discussed in the recent online forum entitled “Communicable Diseases: Control and Response in Sarawak” on Wednesday evening the 12th of August 2020. 

Organised by School of Chemical Engineering and Science and led by Dr. Daniel Tan Lee Tung, Dr. Irine Ginjom and Dr. Xavier Chee, the forum attracted more than 40 participants, who comprised of students undertaking Winter Elective unit PEH20005 Communicable Disease Control, and Swinburne Sarawak students and staff members. 

The three invited speakers – Prof. Datu Dr. Andrew Kiyu (UNIMAS), Dr. Tan Cheng Siang (UNIMAS) and Dr. Ooi Mong How (Sarawak General Hospital) – shared their experience and knowledge on the current rabies and COVID-19 situation. The forum serves as a platform for Swinburne undergraduates to reflect on how they can contribute to the healthcare community as future scientists and engineers.