KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — Malaysia’s infectious diseases expert Professor Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman has become the first Malaysian to be appointed as the commissioner of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
The commission is chaired by New Zealand’s former prime minister Helen Clark and includes a distinguished line-up of 26 former heads of state, eminent personalities and opinion leaders such as philanthropist entrepreneur Richard Bronson and Nobel Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta.
It was set up in January 2011 by a group of personalities from the Americas and Europe, including former heads of state and government to advocate for drug policies based on scientific evidence, human rights, public health, and security.
Its main purpose is to bring to the international level an informed, science-based discussion about humane and effective ways to reduce the harm caused by drugs and drug control policies to people and societies as well as to achieve significant reform of the drug control system aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In welcoming her as its newest commissioner, the commission commended Dr Adeeba’s engagement and deep passion for rights-based public policy as well as her formidable work in HIV treatment, prevention and care for key populations in Malaysia and globally, which aligns with the commission’s commitment to upholding people’s dignity and human rights.
On a global stage, Dr Adeeba served as the first Asian president at the International AIDS Society and was the co-chair of the World Health Organisation (WHO) strategic and technical advisory committee on HIV.
She currently co-chairs the WHO Science Council, and the IAS-Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights.
Dr Adeeba is also the director of Universiti Malaya’s Centre of Excellence for Research on AIDS (Ceria) and Malaysia AIDS Foundation chairperson.
In the realm of drug policy, Dr Adeeba was instrumental in influencing the Malaysian government’s shift in drug policies that led to the introduction of harm reduction programmes in 2006 to prevent HIV infections among people who use drugs, such as the needle and syringe exchange programme and methadone maintenance therapy.
At Ceria, she oversees multi-sectoral research and programmatic initiative focusing on evidence-based human rights-oriented drug policy reforms, including strategies for strengthening primary prevention, harm reduction and health in the criminal justice settings.
