Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre (UMCares)

Project Overview: From Research to Public Safety

Building on previous UMCares research, this project focuses on the Dissemination and Implementation Research in Mushroom Poisoning by creating the official Malaysian Guideline. The core objective is twofold: prevent mushroom poisoning and increase public and professional awareness. This involves extensive testing, evaluation, and refinement of practices to ensure they are legitimate and effective for use in public health and clinical settings.

A key focus is educating public health officers from the Disease Prevention Division and Public Health Laboratory via the Train-The-Trainer (TTT) approach. These officers are then equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills for handling mushroom poisoning cases, creating a sustainable chain of expertise across Malaysia.

Project Impact Snapshot

MyRA Rating

★★★ ★★

Community Engagement Quality

Project Information
Project Leader: Dr. Phan Chau-Shing (UM) & Team
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, and Sarawak (National Reach)
Duration: 15 Months
Target Community: 109 Medical/Public Health Officers

Key Outcomes Achieved

Invited Talk at Mushroom Symposium and Fiesta (MSF) 2019 on "There is another side of mushrooms."
Pocket Talk to the public on "Know your mushrooms" by UM and MOH experts.
Oral presentation at the ASEAN Emerging Researchers Conference on "Mushroom Poisoning in Malaysia: Challenges & Way Forward."

Feedback from Medical Officers

"I can now carry out basic mushroom identification."
"I can now carry out mushroom collection and sampling independently."
"My knowledge on the SOP of mushroom sampling has increased."

Train-The-Trainer (TTT) In Action

Train-The-Trainer session on mushroom poisoning

Medical officers participating in the TTT workshop

The project involved educating public health officers from the Disease Prevention Division and Public Health Laboratory, empowering them with the knowledge and skills to manage mushroom poisoning cases effectively.

Alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The primary goal is direct public health protection: preventing serious illness and death from mushroom poisoning through clear guidelines and education.