IMU’s IRDI Inked Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IHH Healthcare

The Institute for Research, Development and Innovation (IRDI) of the International Medical University (IMU) had successfully inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Pantai Medical Centre Sdn Bhd of IHH Healthcare on 2 August 2022.

As part of this agreement, the IHH Healthcare had agreed to sponsor a total of RM 2 million for the Seremban Diabetes (SeDia) Cohort Research Project, which is a collaborative public-private partnership between the Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia and the IMU Kuala Lumpur. The MOH will be represented by Negeri Sembilan Health Department and Seremban District Health Office.

The objectives of this longitudinal cohort study are:

  1. studying the determinants of complications in individuals with type 2 diabetes and examining the role of genetic, physiological, environmental, lifestyle and psycho-social factors in the development of type 2 diabetes and its complications; and
  2. studying the possibility and effectiveness of health intervention to reverse or prevent diabetes and its long-term effects, which is implementable at a large scale (community level).

Ultimately, it is anticipated that SeDia will achieve the outcomes of developing effective and culturally acceptable intervention protocols to induce sustainable remission of diabetes in diabetic patients and to prevent diabetes development in pre-diabetic individuals which are cost-effective and will serve as a model to address the burden of non-communicable diseases. On top of that, the findings will also contribute towards national policy and programme development for diabetes prevention and control.