Exercise Medicine Is on the Rise in Malaysia
Exercise medicine has become a popular and effective treatment for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Malaysia. Early intervention with exercise for sufferers in the beginning stages of disease can prevent development of the main NCDs, including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia. Medical professionals in Malaysia recognize that proper exercise results in benefits to several of the body’s systems to prevent a broad range of diseases.
Hashbullah Ismail, a cardiac rehabilitation specialist at the University of Technology MARA, asserts that patients suffering from chronic heart failure benefit from the psychosocial benefits as well as an “almost 70 per cent [sic] rehabilitation rate for heart complications.” Urologist Goh Eng Hong advocates for the advantages of exercise for patients with metabolic diseases as well as its potential to prevent the progression of cancer. Ravikumar Katta of the Physiotherapy Department of Lincoln University College states that exercise may enhance the brain chemicals that protect nerve cells to aid in managing Alzheimer disease.
Plans are underway for establishing an exercise clinic to provide access to preventative exercise treatments, including an electronic exercise prescription tool. Read the full story.
The Lancet Calls for More Research Publications in Languages other than English
The vast majority of health research is published only in English. Although English is the dominant language in science, only an estimated 5% of the population speaks English as a first language. The discrepancy creates barriers to comprehension of the information and, therefore, its use in practice.
Healthcare Information For All (HIFA), an expert working group on the subject of multilingualism, has been hosting online discussions with more than 18,000 health care professionals in 177 countries. Participants discussed challenges to access such as limited availability of translation services and technologies, and limited availability of research abstracts in languages other than English.
As a first step in breaking down the language barrier, The Lancet recommends that journals provide abstracts in the main languages of the country where the research was based. Various publishing models could be implemented to improve language access, depending on publishers’ budgets and audiences. Read the full story.
New AI Technology Seeks to Improve Public Health in Africa
A new technology was recently unveiled that has the potential to transform health care in Africa. The artificial intelligence (AI)–powered computing system, CareAi, can instantly diagnose a variety of infectious diseases including malaria, typhoid fever, and tuberculosis. Because CareAi maintains patients’ anonymity, the tool is particularly helpful in serving migrants, citizens who are not registered with a health care system, and residents at risk of deportation.
CareAi analyzes a drop of blood using a substantial library of online resources, diagnoses patients to a certain confidence level, and provides printouts including recommended next steps and prescriptions for drugs that are provided by participating pharmacies. Timely treatment of communicable diseases in marginalized populations is critical to maintaining population health. Read the full story.
