KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 – Novo Nordisk Pharma (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd is continuing its efforts to drive change in the fight against obesity by partnering with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), with both parties signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently.
The MoU outlines a series of activities that addresses the rising issue of obesity in Malaysia, where 30.4 per cent of adults are overweight, and 19.7 per cent are obese.
Signed by Prof Dr Nazamid Saari, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), UPM, and Richard Abela, vice president and general manager of Novo Nordisk, the MoU will run for five years from 2022 to 2027.
This initiative is part of Novo Nordisk’s commitment to go beyond medicine and collaborate across multiple sectors in driving change to defeat stigma and make obesity a health care priority.
“The collaboration between Novo Nordisk and UPM is hoped to raise awareness of obesity as a chronic disease, build capacities of current and future healthcare professionals (HCPs) in obesity care and develop multidisciplinary team approach in holistic management of obesity; Together with our partners, we are committed to driving changes in how the world sees, prevents and treats obesity”, said Abela.
In the collaboration, Novo Nordisk and UPM will be conducting three main activities, namely raising awareness and education about obesity as a chronic disease through an online teaching module platform, equipping health care professionals in obesity care and management, and creating medical education activities and teaching platforms on obesity modules in Malaysia on the UPM portal.
These activities will focus on knowledge-sharing sessions to help students and participating health care professionals develop the skills to diagnose, treat, and/or refer obese patients towards a holistic care and management regimen.
“This strategic partnership will benefit all parties and certainly highlights the importance of impactful collaborations between academia and industries. In the end, it’s the community who will benefit the most,” according to Prof Dr Zamberi Sekawi, dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UPM.
Since 2018, Novo Nordisk has partnered with the Metabolic and Obesity team from UPM, conducting various community and education activities such as patient support group and sharing sessions, patient educational videos, interprofessional education programmes for undergraduate students, research collaborations, and scientific writings.
This partnership is an extension of the existing relationship, and both parties believe it will strengthen the approach to combat obesity.
