Prague, Czech Republic | 6–9 October 2026
Dr Mohd Azri Mohd Suan, a PhD candidate from the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Top Ranked Abstract by a PhD Student in Social and Policy Research’ at the 14th International Conference on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU 2026), held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 6 to 9 October 2026.
INHSU is a leading international platform bringing together researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community advocates to advance evidence-based approaches to viral hepatitis, harm reduction, and the health of people who use drugs.
Advancing Hepatitis C Elimination in Malaysian Prisons
The award recognises Dr Mohd Azri’s doctoral research, conducted under the supervision of Associate Professor Dr Abqariyah Yahya and Dr Nur Afiqah Md Salleh, which addresses operational challenges in hepatitis C virus (HCV) micro-elimination within correctional settings.
His award-winning abstract, entitled ‘Optimising the “First Mile”: A Comparative Process-Mapping Analysis for Continuous vs. Pulse-Screening HCV Models in Malaysian Prisons’, compared two decentralised HCV screening approaches implemented across two correctional facilities in Northern Malaysia.
Conducted in collaboration with the Clinical Research Centre (CRC), Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, the Malaysian Prison Department, and the Ministry of Health Malaysia, the study evaluated an 18-month continuous routine intake screening model against a four-day periodic mass-screening campaign.
Using process mapping and the RE-AIM implementation science framework, the findings revealed important operational trade-offs. Although mass screening achieved substantially greater diagnostic reach (80.6% versus 19.6%), administrative delays following screening contributed to treatment interruptions, with release from custody before treatment initiation accounting for 89.2% of treatment cascade drop-offs. Conversely, continuous routine screening supported faster treatment initiation despite constraints in diagnostic processing.
Broader Contributions to Public Health Research
Beyond his award-winning oral presentation, Dr Mohd Azri presented two additional posters exploring factors contributing to HCV treatment attrition in correctional settings and the feasibility of point-of-care screening in private faith-based rehabilitation centres.
These contributions highlight the importance of implementation research in translating effective screening strategies into timely, accessible, and equitable healthcare services.
Strengthening Health Equity Through Implementation Science
This achievement underscores the growing contribution of Universiti Malaya researchers to addressing complex public health challenges among underserved populations.
Importantly, the findings demonstrate that successful HCV elimination requires more than expanding screening coverage; it also depends on ensuring timely linkage to treatment and continuity of care, particularly in correctional environments where short periods of incarceration and administrative processes may disrupt healthcare delivery.
The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine congratulates Dr Mohd Azri and his supervisors on this international recognition and acknowledges the invaluable contributions of the collaborating institutions.
Further information: International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU)
Tags: #UniversitiMalaya #SPMUM #INHSU2026 #PublicHealth #HepatitisC #ImplementationScience #HealthEquity #PrisonHealth #HarmReduction
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