The complex issues involved in treating patients with HIV and AIDS so intrigued a young Malaysian doctor that she made prevention, research and treatment of this devastating illness her career focus.
For many doctors, leading an infectious disease unit at the University Malaya Medical Centre would be achievement enough.
But since 2006, Professor Adeeba Kamarulzaman (Monash MBBS 1987) has also held a public health role as President of the Malaysian AIDS Council – an umbrella body with a staff of 40 and another 42 organisations within its ambit.
Her medical journey began in the early 1980s, when she came to Monash to commence the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Medicine on a Malaysian Government scholarship.
“I was very close to a group of friends who met on our first day of med school, when we bonded while dissecting a shark’s head,” she says.
“This group then went on to work together for the entire six years of the course. We studied and practised together and at the end of the final year, after the exams, we all went on holiday to New Zealand.”
Her interest in infectious diseases, and particularly AIDS, developed during training at the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital (since closed).
“There were lots of HIV patients there in those days and it intrigued me that we needed more than just medical knowledge. With AIDS patients you are not simply in a patient-doctor relationship, you often get to know the families. The interaction is wider and longer – sometimes lifelong. Through the years I have learned how to set boundaries though, and very few patients have my mobile number.”
Since moving into public health, Professor Kamarulzaman has also learnt about other matters beyond the clinical doctor-patient relationship, such as drug policy – which stemmed from her work with HIV prevention. She stresses that policy is a vital element in the control of AIDS.
“It goes back to the core of my work – helping patients. Unless the larger issues are dealt with we are never going to be able to solve the individual problems. At best they will be bandaid solutions only,” she says.
“Every religion and every culture wants the best for their people, but they must get over the idea of the State having to be involved in everything. I am a Muslim, and maybe my views differ from those of others in that I believe sexuality is individual. It is something for the individual to decide and not the State to dictate. We need people in power to be more pragmatic, and to decide that what needs to be done is based on reliable public health evidence rather than on moral judgments, which often prevent people from making good public health decisions.”
She is also concerned about the current financial crisis and its impact on State and corporate support for research.
“We receive support from the Government but we also rely on the generosity of corporations and others. Global financial markets are so interrelated. How can we not be affected?”
Professor Kamarulzaman’s role at the university principally involves patient care, and much of her medical teaching is conducted at the bedside on ward rounds.
She has also recently established a research centre for HIV at the university, drawing together around one administrative hub a range of clinical trials and other activities conducted within the Infectious Disease Unit. Through collaborators at Yale University, in the United States, the centre recently secured a large grant to undertake research on HIV prevention among drug users in prisons.
With her extensive experience in the field, she is much sought-after in Asia as a conference speaker, as well as a member of many regional and international committees. In January, she was guest of honour and keynote speaker at the Monash-hosted East Asian Medical Students’ Conference in Kuala Lumpur, and spoke about the pathway ‘From medical student to international advocate’.
Over the past twelve months her role has included a lot of traveling.
“I have two boys, aged nine and 11 and I take the boys along to some of the things I do. But my frequent overseas trips last year prompted them to ask when am I going to give up either being a doctor or being President of the MAC (Malaysia AIDS Council),” she says.
It may sound like all work, but Professor Kamarulzman still finds time for other interests.
“I like to shop – I love to shop. I love collecting antiques, especially Malaysian antiques. One of the good things about my travels is that I can seek out little antique shops in different countries and find something interesting to bring home. I of course love to spend time with my children, where I even agree to being dragged along to see movies like The Incredible Hulk. I tell them this is a real measure of unconditional love.”
By Maureen Kutner
