SIBU — Sarawak is enhancing its defenses against animal-to-human disease threats through its RM200 million Sarawak Infectious Diseases Centre (SIDC) and strategic global partnerships, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Prof Dr. Sim Kui Hian announced at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Zoonotic and Tropical Diseases on Thursday.
Speaking before international health experts, Dr. Sim emphasized zoonotic risks exemplified by HIV, COVID-19, and indigenous challenges like monkey-mosquito-transmitted malaria. “SIDC – Malaysia’s first dedicated facility of its kind – prepares us for emerging biological threats,” he stated, revealing ongoing knowledge-sharing collaborations with the U.S. Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta to enhance local diagnostic capabilities.
The Deputy Premier highlighted climate change as a disease amplifier, noting rising temperatures expand habitats for vectors like mosquitoes and bats. “International cooperation is non-negotiable when tropical diseases cross borders,” he asserted, citing Sarawak’s participation in the ASEAN Zoonoses Network.
Addressing rabies specifically, Dr. Sim disclosed an 80% dog vaccination rate in border areas but criticized urban complacency: “Rabies remains preventable if owners vaccinate consistently. One neglected pet risks community outbreaks.” The ministry will launch targeted awareness campaigns in Kuching, Miri, and Sibu by Q3 2025.
The three-day conference convenes 300 researchers addressing Borneo-specific threats, including Nipah virus risks from fruit bat habitats and leptospirosis from agricultural run-off. SIDC’s new genomic sequencing lab, operational since May, enables rapid pathogen identification across Sarawak’s 12 divisions.
