Background: Malaria is still a major public health threat in some parts of the world. Many countries are targeting to achieve malaria free status country. This study aimed to determine the sero-prevalence of malaria and the knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to the prevention of malaria among the indigenous adults living in the central forest spine in Peninsular Malaysia. Methods: A mixed method study was conducted in indigenous settlements in 2020. Blood film for malaria parasite (BFMP) was used to diagnose malaria in this study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants. For the qualitative data, in-depth interviews were conducted and data was collected until data saturation was reached. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the predictors after adjusting for confounders. A p-value of < 0.05 is considered as statistically significant. Meaningful statements from the in-depth interviews were assigned to the relevant codes using NVivo version 12 software. Results: A total of 284 indigenous people participated in the study. The prevalence of malaria in this study was 0%. Those in the middle age group between 25 and 41 years and tested positive for malaria previously were significantly more likely to have better knowledge and attitude scores. Significant correlations were also observed between knowledge-attitude and knowledge-practice. For the qualitative results, most of the respondents were unsure of monkey malaria, but all were aware of human malaria. Conclusion: The present study highlighted the absence of malaria in the study population and relatively good knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to the prevention of malaria.

Mental disorders are a major public health problem and are debilitating in many nations throughout the world. Many individuals either do not or are not able to access treatment. The Internet can be a medium to convey to the community accessible evidenced-based interventions to reduce these burdens. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of 4 weeks of a Web-based psychoeducational intervention program for depressive and anxiety symptoms in the community of Selangor, Malaysia. A two-arm randomized controlled trial of a single-blind study will be conducted to meet the objective of this study. We aim to recruit 84 participants each for the intervention and control groups. The recruitment will be from participants who participated in the first phase of this research. The primary outcomes of this study are depressive and anxiety scores, which will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7, respectively. The secondary outcome includes mental health literacy of the participants, which will be assessed using the self-developed and adapted Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire. The psychoeducational intervention program consists of four sessions, which will be accessed each week. The depressive and anxiety symptoms will be compared between participants who participated in the psychoeducational program compared with the control group. Depressive and anxiety scores and mental health literacy will be assessed at week 1 and at follow-ups at week 5 and week 12, respectively. The psychoeducational intervention program consists of four sessions, which will be accessed at each week. The depressive and anxiety symptoms will be compared between the intervention and control groups using a series of mixed ANOVAs. Depressive and anxiety scores and mental health literacy will be assessed at week 1 and at two follow-ups at week 5 and week 12, respectively. To our knowledge, this study will be the first randomized controlled trial of a Web-based psychoeducational intervention program for depression and anxiety in an adult community in Malaysia. The results from this study will determine the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention program in the management of depression and anxiety among adults in the community. If proven to be effective, the intervention can serve as a new modality to manage and reduce the burden of these disorders in the community. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 39656144; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN39656144 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6hSVhV71K).

While there are many risks that increase an individuals’ exposure to infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B, occupational exposure increases one’s risk to acquire such infections. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Hepatitis B among municipal solid waste collectors and their knowledge, attitude and practice towards the prevention of Hepatitis B. An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out among solid waste collectors in Penang Island from November 2017 to Mei 2018. The inclusion criteria of this study were solid waste collectors who have been working for at least 6 months and able to understand either Malay or English language. Those who did not turn up during the data collection period and who were unable to give their blood sample were excluded from the study. Participants’ blood were tested for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) using Elisa. The waste collectors were then interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Research Ethics Committee, PMC RC-14. A total of 184 out of 221 eligible waste handlers participated in the study, giving a response rate of 83.3%. The prevalence of Hepatitis B in this study was 1.6%. Significant correlation was observed between attitude and practice scores (r=0.203, p=0.006). The prevalence of Hepatitis B among municipal waste collectors was low in this study. Most had poor knowledge in regards to Hepatitis B. Empowering workers by providing them adequate information is essential to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.

Background: The Jahai, a subethnic of the indigenous people of peninsular Malaysia, have commonly used dogs for hunting but have started to move away from traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle, leaving dogs which were commonly used for hunting to wander around the villages and to multiply in numbers. Objective: The objective of this study was to instil good knowledge, attitude and practices of the Jahai community concerning dog associated zoonotic infections using One Health concept. Methods: This non-experimental pre and post-test intervention study was conducted among Jahai villagers aged 12 years and above living in a village located in the Belum forest in Malaysia. Interventions included health education and promotion using discussions, posters, slide presentations, comics and video clips with relevant content. In addition the children of the village were taught correct hand washing techniques and dog associated zoonotic infections. Results: In general most aspects of knowledge, attitude and practice improved post intervention. The knowledge on risk of infections transmitted from pet dogs (X ² =4.293, p= 0.038) and the practice of washing hands before eating (X ² =14.984, p <0.001) improved significantly. The increase in the mean scores of the participants knowledge (t=−9.875, p=<0.001) and attitude (t= −4.100, p=<0.001) post intervention was statistically significant. Conclusion: This study showed the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary team using One Health concept to successfully improve knowledge, attitude and practices related to dog associated infections. A sustained and committed health education and promotion interventions involving the community and school children in promoting heath should be custom made for indigenous communities, and sanitation and hygienic practices reinforced at every opportunity. Author’s Summary: The indigenous people of peninsular Malaysia are a marginalized group; they are socio economically deprived and have low levels of education. One such group is the Jahai, who commonly used dogs for hunting, but have recently started to move away from traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle, resulting in the dogs to multiply in numbers and roam as strays in the village. The community is now at risk of dog associated zoonotic infections. Studies have shown that health education and promotion can improve knowledge, attitude and practices of dog associated infections. However most of the studies were done among dog owners and in communities with fairly good education levels. A holistic approach using One Health concept was used to instil good knowledge, attitude and practices of the Jahai community concerning dog associated zoonotic infections. This non-experimental pre and post-test intervention study was conducted among Jahai villagers aged 12 years and above living in a village located in the Belum forest in Malaysia. The findings of this study showed the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary team using One Health concept to successfully improve knowledge, attitude and practices related to dog associated zoonotic infections.