The department would like to congratulate Dr Nur Afiqah Mohd Salleh and Dr Tan Wei Leong for being elected as the Exco Members of Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) at the Malaysian AIDS Council’s Election for Exco Members Term 2022-2024.
Dr Nur Afiqah’s research work focuses on institutional-related structures associated with optimal engagement in HIV care among HIV-positive people who use illicit drugs (PWUD). This epidemiological work is informed by sociological perspectives which framed the research questions within a wider social, economic and policy environment. She is also a strong advocate for harm reduction policies and programs that help prevent HIV transmission among PWUD. Additionally, she applies community-based participatory research principles in her work.
Her current work seeks to examine the potential impact of a patient-navigation model, facilitated by community healthcare workers, on PWUD’s engagement with HIV prevention and treatment services. She works closely with Persatuan Insaf Murni Malaysia, where she is serving as an Exco member.
She previously served as a Malaysian AIDS Council EXCO member (Assistant Honorary Secretary) between 2020-2022.
Dr Tan Wei Leong is a former MPH and DrPH student. He was supervised by Professor Dr Ng Chiu Wan and Associate Professor Dr Nirmala Bhoo Pathy. The title of his thesis was “The financial and welfare impact of household tobacco expenditure in Malaysia. His paper on “Distribution of household tobacco expenditure and household affordability of tobacco products in Malaysia” has been accepted for publication in ASM Special Issue. Dr Tan Wei Leong is currently serving as an EXCO member at Cahaya Harapan; an NGO dedicated to serving people at risk for HIV/AIDS in Kedah.
Congratulations again, Dr Nur Afiqah and Dr Tan Wei Leong!
This write-up was written by Dr Nur Afiqah Mohd Salleh and Muhammad Haizril Arif Md Mokhtar, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya.
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