The ACFF Malaysian Chapter was founded in 2013, and since its installation has worked tirelessly to see improvements in Dental health standards across the country. Led by a team of professionals headed up by Professor Rahimah Abdul Kadir of Lincoln University College, Malaysia, the Chapter have instigated a number of groundbreaking initiatives with the target of working ‘Towards a Cavity-Free Malaysian Generation 2026’. These include the following:
- The ‘ACFF MC Award for Cariology Research’ has been set up and funded by the Chapter, which is an annual award for Malaysian Academics and Researchers through the IADR Malaysian Section.
- A large annual celebration of World Cavity-Free Future Day has been held for a number of years, drawing together key players in oral health from across the country. The 2019 event was held in Trengganu, the state with the second highest prevalence of caries in the Malaysian Peninsular and brought together state government administrators and other public health professionals and policy makers, as well as local dental professionals.
- The Chapter collaborates on multiple community projects involving dental students, and plans to soon officially launch a Malaysian Chapter Junior Division, led from Lincoln University College. This will work alongside plans to revive the ‘Young Dental Leadership Program’ for transitioning students between graduation and acceptance into the government health service. This program aims to assist graduates in maintaining momentum in their study and learning in the months prior to employment.
- Outreach programs are being expanded to include focus on the families of the Armed forces.
- A breastfeeding advocacy programme is also being targeted (in association with the National Breastfeeding Association) for inclusion in ACFF outreach.
- Training workshops have been taking place, organised and delivered by ACFF Chapter members, over the last few years. So far, events have been run in all 3 federal territories and 9 out of the 13 Malaysian states.
We are delighted at the work being done in Malaysia and are excited to be able to update you further on their success in the future.