The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, proudly announces Dr Nur Nabila Abd Rahim as the recipient of the fourth Dr Wu Lien-Teh Award for the Best Student in the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) programme. This esteemed award, sponsored by The Dr Wu Lien-Teh Society, Penang, celebrates the legacy of Penang-born Dr Wu Lien-Teh, a pioneer in modernising medicine in China. The award recognises outstanding DrPH candidates at the University of Malaya who demonstrate excellence in leadership, community engagement, academic standing, and professionalism.

Announcing the 2024 Recipient: Dr Nur Nabila Abd Rahim

We congratulate Dr Nur Nabila Abd Rahim on her exceptional achievements. Dr Nur Nabila graduated with a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya in the 2019/2020 session and continued her doctoral studies from 2020 to 2023, culminating in her DrPH at the 64th University of Malaya Convocation Ceremony.

Currently serving as a Public Health Medicine Physician at the Environmental Health Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health Malaysia (NIH), Dr Nur Nabila is keenly interested in environmental health and data analytics.

Outstanding Contributions and Achievements

During her DrPH candidature, Dr Nur Nabila demonstrated remarkable dedication and leadership:

Played a pivotal role in organising the COVID-19 vaccination outreach programme at UMMC, coordinating between departments, managing vaccine supplies, and ensuring adherence to health guidelines.
Volunteered with the disaster response team during the 2021 flood crisis, providing medical aid and health education to affected communities.
Led health promotion programmes focused on vector control and environmental health during her attachment at PKD Petaling. This included constructing pour flush pit latrines in Kampung Orang Asli Bukit Manchung, Hulu Selangor, and conducting drinking water sampling in Hulu Selangor.
Spearheaded a COVID-19 vaccination outreach programme tailored for the indigenous population in Desa Temuan, Selangor, successfully addressing vaccine hesitancy through culturally sensitive education and consultations.

Dr Nur Nabila’s academic excellence has also been recognised through multiple Best Oral Presenter awards at prestigious conferences:

The 54th Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Conference 2023.
The 23rd National Public Health Colloquium 2023.
The 15th MOH-AMM Scientific Meeting 2024 in conjunction with the 25th NIH Scientific Conference.

Acknowledging Excellence

This year, four outstanding candidates were shortlisted for the award: Dr. Nur Nabila Abd Rahim, Dr. Malar Velli, Dr. Kalaashini a/p Ramachandran, and Dr. Hazwa Harith. All candidates demonstrated exceptional merit, making the selection highly competitive. We are proud of all our shortlisted candidates.

The Dr Wu Lien-Teh Award includes a cash prize of RM1,000.00, a medal, and a certificate. Candidates are evaluated based on leadership (25%), community engagement (25%), academic standing (25%), and professionalism (25%), requiring a minimum of 65% overall and graduation within eight semesters.

A Legacy of Excellence

Dr Nur Nabila Abd Rahim joins a distinguished list of previous recipients:

Dr Wan Kim Sui, Public Health Medicine Specialist & Head of the Centre for Burden of Disease Research, Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Dr Wong Min Fui (Esther Wong), Public Health Medicine Specialist, Institute for Health Systems Research, National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Dr Vivek Jason Jayaraj, Public Health Medicine Specialist, Digital Health Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia.