Materia Medica Malaysiana

UM Professor Receives "Life Ball Crystal Of Hope" Award

Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, who heads Universiti Malaya's infectious diseases unit, became the first individual to receive the Swarovski Award's "Life Ball Crystal of Hope" for her untiring efforts in the fight against AIDS.
The university in a statement today said Dr Adeeba, from the department of medicine, received the award from Hollywood actress and singer Liza Minnelli at one of Europe's largest AIDS charity events in Vienna, Austria recently.
She was honoured by Life Ball, an independent non-profit organisation, whose objective is to raise funds in support of different organisations involved in helping and working with HIV positive patients and people living with AIDS.
During the event, Dr Adeeba also received an endowment of 100,000 Euro (about RM450,000) from Life Ball on behalf of TREAT Asia Project (Therapeutics Research, Education and AIDS Training in Asia), of which she is one of its steering committee members.
TREAT Asia is a network of clinics, hospitals and research institutions working to ensure the safe and effective delivery of HIV/AIDS treatment throughout Asia and the Pacific region.
The donation, the varsity said, would be used to improve the education and training of healthcare workers and the community in the region regarding antiretroviral therapy through a standardised curriculum.