(10 March 2022) Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) organized the inaugural lecture delivered by Prof Datin Dr Che Ilina Che Isahak, academic fellow of the USIM Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences entitled “Adult Immunization: From Research to National Policy”.
In this lecture, Prof Datin Dr Che Ilina Che Isahak shared on how the results of her research for over 30 years have been applied as part of the national immunization policy. He also stressed the importance of immunization of adults as well as children and the types of diseases that can be prevented with immunization.
He has sparked the idea to publish a practical book on Microbiology used by medical and dental students. The book, which has entered its second edition, is very helpful to lecturers and students in the learning process.
In addition, at the national level, he has written several chapters in a book entitled “Adult Immunization” produced by the Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy (MSIDC) for use by medical practitioners.
Prof Datin Dr Che Ilina Che Isahak was also the originator of the idea to organize a Microbiology Quiz at the intervarsity level at USIM known as i-Microb. The competition is held annually before 2020, and is very popular among the residents of the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Dentistry of local Public and Private Universities.
He collaborates extensively with pharmaceutical companies and outside agencies in community and research programs. Among them is a research project on hand hygiene among kindergarten children worth RM60,000 from Mundipharma Sdn. Bhd., An infection control workshop for kindergarten teachers received a sponsorship of RM8,000 from the Selangor State Government and also a health short video production project with Tabung Haji.
He has also been invited to make presentations at international conferences in Hong Kong and the Philippines on antiseptics. Through the network of industries and pharmaceuticals owned by him, Pharmaceutical Companies and Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) also contributed to the success of the conference organized by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, USIM.
It is hoped that such a program can inspire other young lecturers, in addition to increasing the community’s knowledge of immunization and infection control programs in particular.
Also present was Prof Dato Dr Mohamed Ridza Wahiddin Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Radhi Ibrahim, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International), Prof. Dr. Adnan Mohamed Yusof, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Student and Alumni Affairs), Prof. Ts. Dr. Sharifudin Md Shaarani, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation).