Universiti Malaya volunteers bring dengue prevention and health screening to Ampang

What is the background?

Dengue remains a persistent public health concern across Selangor, where mosquito-borne outbreaks can spread quickly through crowded residential areas. Universiti Malaya’s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, part of its Faculty of Medicine, runs community outreach programmes that pair academic public-health expertise with grassroots volunteer networks. One of these programmes reached Kampung Bukit Sungai Putih in Ampang on 13 June 2026.

What happened?

On 13 June 2026, the department held its Community Health Promotion and Dengue Prevention Programme at Dataran Belia Kampung Bukit Sungai Putih, a community youth square in Ampang. The event was designed for children and their families, combining hands-on health education with direct healthcare services. Children aged 7 to 12 were offered free anaemia screening and dengue vaccination on site, alongside educational games, clown performances, balloon activities, and health promotion booths. YB Tuan Syed Ahmad Abdul Rahman Alhadad, the state assemblyman for Lembah Jaya, attended together with community representatives.

How did it happen?

The programme was coordinated jointly by the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, the DUN Lembah Jaya constituency office, Sukarelawan Kesihatan Komuniti Selangor (SUKA), and local community leaders. Professor Dr Victor Hoe, the department’s head, and Professor Dr Rafdzah Ahmad Zaki, who led the health community programme, took part alongside the volunteers. Rather than running a stand-alone lecture or clinic, organisers folded screening and vaccination into a day of games and entertainment, so families who came for the activities also left with practical prevention knowledge and completed health checks for their children.

Why does it matter?

Community-level engagement is central to controlling dengue, since mosquito breeding sites are usually found around homes and shared spaces rather than in hospitals or clinics. By bringing screening, vaccination, and prevention messaging directly to a neighbourhood youth square, the programme lowered the everyday barriers — time, transport, cost — that often keep families from preventive care. Pairing a university department with a sitting state assemblyman’s office and a state-backed volunteer network also shows how academic, political, and grassroots actors can share the work of public health outreach rather than leaving it to one institution alone.

What were the key results?

• Held on 13 June 2026 at Dataran Belia Kampung Bukit Sungai Putih, Ampang
• Free anaemia screening offered to children aged 7 to 12
• Free dengue vaccination offered to eligible children aged 7 to 12
• Four activity types ran alongside services: educational games, clown performances, balloon activities, and health promotion booths
• Three named partners coordinated the day: Universiti Malaya’s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, the DUN Lembah Jaya constituency office, and SUKA (Sukarelawan Kesihatan Komuniti Selangor)
• Attended by state assemblyman YB Tuan Syed Ahmad Abdul Rahman Alhadad and department heads Professor Dr Victor Hoe and Professor Dr Rafdzah Ahmad Zaki

What happens next?

The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine said such programmes bridge public health expertise with meaningful community engagement, improving disease awareness and healthcare accessibility. In its report, the department thanked the organising committee, collaborators, volunteers, and community partners for their contributions, signalling an intent to continue the cross-sector model in future outreach. With dengue transmission tied closely to local conditions, repeat visits to Ampang and similar neighbourhoods would let the department and SUKA track whether the screening and vaccination reached the children who needed it most, and whether awareness carries through to changed household habits.