A section of the webinar’s audience of over 100.
MIRI (Apr 24): Two experts from the Faculty of Health Sciences at Curtin University in Perth gave insights into Australia’s public health responses to the Covid-19 pandemic to an audience of over 100 in Sarawak during a two-hour ‘Covid-19 Talk by Curtin Experts’ webinar yesterday.
The webinar was initiated by Sarawak Transport Minister and minister in charge of the Miri Division Disaster Management Committee (MDDMC), Datuk Lee Kim Shin.
Jointly organised by Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) and MDMC, the objective of the webinar was to bring together Curtin and those in the state government involved in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, for a dialogue and knowledge sharing session.
The two Australian experts were Professor Jaya Dantas, Dean International in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor in the Curtin School of Population Health as well as Associate Professor Nick Golding, an associate professor in the Curtin School of Population Health.
Jaya has worked for 34 years in India, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Timor Leste and Australia and won an Australian National Award for University Teaching in 2010. Her credentials include being a Fellow of the Public Health Association of Australia and delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations.
She spoke about ‘Australia’s Public Health Responses and Responding to Vulnerable Communities during Covid-19′. She also outlined some of the key public health responses carried out in Australia such as the TTT approach (testing, tracking and tracing) and the assistance given to community organisations and international students in the Covid-19 response.
Nick, meanwhile, is an infectious disease modeller with particular experience in quantifying the risks posed by new and emerging diseases. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he developed a range of models to track Covid-19 transmission potential over time in Australia. This model has been used extensively by the Australian government throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to assess outbreak risk and the need for mobility restrictions.
During the webinar, Nick spoke about ‘Modelling Used to Guide Australia’s Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic’. He elaborated on the various types of modelling used by the Australian authorities to assess the Covid-19 situation in the country and plan appropriate responses, particularly in the states of Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania which were the hardest hit.
Among other government officials attending the webinar were Minister of Local Government and Housing Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian and Deputy State Secretary Datuk Ik Pahon Joyik.
In his welcoming remarks, Lee hoped that the insights provided by the two experts would be of help to the authorities in Sarawak in planning their own responses to the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Dr Sim in his address said that Curtin Malaysia is playing a crucial role in the development of Sarawak and the advancement of its communities.
Moderating the webinar was Professor Simon Leunig, Pro Vice-Chancellor and President of Curtin Malaysia.
Also in attendance were acting Resident of Miri, Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf, as well as the residents of the other 11 divisions in Sarawak, heads and representatives of various government organisations as well as over 20 hospital directors, doctors, public health officials and senior management staff of Curtin Malaysia.
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