Sim Kui Hian (centre), deputy premier of Sarawak and minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Sarawak. Photo Credit: BESarawak
Sarawak has been chosen to host Malaysia's inaugural global congress
on tropical medicine and malaria, the 21st International Congress for
Tropical Medicine and Malaria (ICTMM 2024). The event will take place
from 19-23 September 2024 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.
The international bidding process was a collaborative effort between
the Malaysian Society of Parasitology & Tropical Medicine, Business
Events Sarawak (BESarawak), and Malaysia Convention & Exhibition
Bureau (MyCEB). The congress anticipates the participation of over 2,000
delegates from around the world, converging in Kuching during the
specified dates.
With the theme "Global Responses and Interdisciplinary Research
Towards Eliminating Tropical Diseases," the congress will be jointly
held with the 60th Malaysian Society of Parasitology & Tropical
Medicine Conference (MSPTM 2024) and the 10th ASEAN Congress of Tropical
Medicine and Parasitology (10th ACTMP).
Leading scientists, physicians, researchers, policymakers, and
international authorities will gather to discuss various tropical
medicine topics, including malaria, neglected diseases, drug resistance,
travel medicine, and zoonoses.
"Sarawak's unique tropical climate and geographical diversity provide
a multitude of habitats for disease vectors, resulting in higher
infection and transmission rates of tropical diseases," shared Sim Kui
Hian, Sarawak's Deputy Premier and minister for Public Health, Housing,
and Local Government.
The congress is projected to have a total economic impact of RM24.6
million (US$5.4 million), with RM13.4 million stemming from direct
delegate spend. Additionally, it is expected to generate 1,952 jobs
related to organising and hosting the event. The Malaysian Society of
Parasitology & Tropical Medicine aims to foster leading global
collaborations within the scientific community and drive transformative
change through its legacy impact.
Professor Dr. Malcolm Jones, president of the International
Federation of Tropical Medicine and Malaria, emphasised the Federation's
role in ensuring the global progress of tropical medicine through
informed and connected scientific and medical communities.
Emphasising the value of collaborations for the business events
industry, Amelia Roziman, CEO of BESarawak, said: “As Malaysia and
Borneo’s legacy capital for business events, we are working closely with
the congress committee to help achieve their legacy impact. We hope
that by being the host destination for ICTMM, the congress will be the
key to Malaysia and Asia’s tropical medicine advancements.”