Recently, a report by the Lancet public health commission on gambling found that gambling is a growing threat to public health globally, with about 450 million people who have experienced consequences of gambling. On this episode of Mind Matters, we speak to Dr Amer to find out how serious this problem is here in Malaysia, and what are the unique circumstances that we need to account for in addressing the threat of gambling to public health.

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What role do medical teams at sporting events play beyond just treating injuries that happen during the event? How much has sports medicine evolved to keep up with the changes in both sports and medicine? We speak to consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Harjeet Singh as well as consultant sports medicine physicians Dr Kamaljeet Singh and Dato’ Dr Gurcharan Singh to find out.

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What would our world look like if HIV was eliminated? In this series, we’ll look at how we can eliminate the public health challenges that continue to plague us today and how far we are from that goal. In this first episode, we find out from Dr Anjanna Kukreja, an infectious diseases physician, if eliminating HIV is possible in our lifetime.

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Quitting smoking is probably one of the most difficult goals to achieve. Despite stories of smokers successfully quitting cold turkey, many people will find themselves making several attempts and may even get discouraged. In the first Doctor in the House show for the new year, Dr Takdir Singh Riar, Head of the Smoking Cessation Unit, Klinik Kesihatan Tanglin, joins Dr George Lee to motivate those looking to quit smoking this year.

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Are you feeling a little unmotivated and stuck in a rut, even though everybody around you is making resolutions or setting goals for the new year? Licensed counsellor Lakshumy Kumar talks about why you may feel like something is missing in your life, and offers advice to help you get out of this slump.

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In a world where we’re constantly told to study harder, work longer hours, and earn more money, do we still have time to play? Is play just for children, or is it important no matter how old you are? We dive into a playful conversation with consultant clinical psychologist Paul Jambunathan about the benefits of play on mental health, and how to play more.

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Everyone can experience loneliness at any age - for older adults, it’s been said that they are often at higher risk of experiencing loneliness and social isolation. On this episode of Healthy Ageing, we dive into how loneliness could affect older adults’ physical and mental health, and what we can do as a community to better support the older adults we know. To do that, my guest is licensed counsellor Heeran Kaur.

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We’ve heard about “superbugs” - bacteria that are resistant to multiple types of antibiotics that were previously effective in treating infections. It is estimated that superbugs will kill about 10 million people each year, because of multi-drug resistance. But have you heard of something even deadlier than bacteria, yet could save us? These are bacteriophages, or phages, which target and destroy bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Dr Tobi Nagel, Founder and President, Phages for Global Health, tells us more about how phages could help us in this fight against antibiotic resistance, and what efforts are needed to ensure that phage therapy is accessible to low- and middle-income countries.

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On this month’s Ask A Doctor, we are addressing questions about weight loss, including how much to lose, how to go about it, and how do you know whether you really need to lose weight? Joining us to answer the questions are Professor Dr Rohana Abdul Ghani, Consultant Endocrinologist, Universiti Teknologi Mara & President, Malaysian Obesity Society, and Dr Arvin Raj, Consultant Sports Medicine Physician.

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The reports about medical insurance premiums rising between 40 to 70 percent next year has gotten many Malaysians incensed and worried about whether they can still afford medical insurance. What could this mean for Malaysians’ access to healthcare? How will this also impact public healthcare services? We speak to Dr Nirmala Bhoo Pathy, Professor of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya to find out.

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If Senator Robert F. Kennedy Jr becomes the United States’ Secretary of Health and Human Services, America will have a health leader who is a science and public health skeptic. This possible scenario is a glimpse into how political priorities and decisions can have interesting - and potentially nightmarish - implications on public health policies and decisions, with consequences on healthcare funding, the control of infectious diseases, and preventative care. We take a broader look at how politics intersect with health, and what is the right balance to strike when it comes to politicking and policymaking.

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