Isham bin Jaafar is a Bruneian physician who currently serves as the current Minister of Health since 2017.

Biography

Education

Isham graduated from

University of Dundee The University of Dundee; . Abbreviated as ''Dund.'' for post-nominals. is a public university, public research university based in Dundee, Scotland. It was founded as a University college#United Kingdom, university college in 1881 with a donation ...

with a

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

degree Degree may refer to: As a unit of measurement * Degree (angle), a unit of angle measurement ** Degree of geographical latitude ** Degree of geographical longitude * Degree symbol (°), a notation used in science, engineering, and mathematics ...

in 1995 and later completed his specialist training in

Cardiothoracic Surgery Cardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in surgical treatment of organs inside the thoracic cavity — generally treatment of conditions of the heart ( heart disease), lungs (lung disease), and other pleural or mediastinal st ...

at the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN),

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. He then completed his

fellowship A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the

Royal Papworth Hospital Royal Papworth Hospital is a specialist heart and lung hospital, located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridgeshire, England. The Hospital is run by Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The hospital is a world-leading cardioth ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

. Moreover in 2014, he acquired fellowship recognition from the

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...

American College of Cardiology The American College of Cardiology (ACC), based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit medical association established in 1949. It bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet its qualifications. Education is a core component of the ...

and the ASEAN Cardiology Congress.

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...

and

European Society of Cardiology The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is an independent non-profit, non-governmental professional association that works to advance the prevention, diagnosis and management of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, and improve scientific un ...

recognize Isham's fellowship in 2015.

Medical career

In 2005, he became the

Consultant A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization. Consulting servic ...

Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the Cardiac Centre Gleneagles JPMC. Since November 2009, Isham was promoted to the position of a

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

among

Jerudong Park Medical Centre Jerudong Park Medical Centre (, Abbrev: ') is a private hospital in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei Darussalam which mainly provides specialized healthcare services. It is located in Jerudong, some 20 kilometres from Bandar Seri Begawan. The hospit ...

(JMPC)'s

board of directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...

and the

executive director Executive director is commonly the title of the chief executive officer of a non-profit organization, government agency or international organization. The title is widely used in North American and European not-for-profit organizations, though ...

Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre (, Abbrev: ') is a private hospital located in Jerudong, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. Location The hospital is located up north of Jerudong Park and lies on the right of Jerudong Park Medical Centre. PJSC is ...

(PJSC). Under his leadership, both JPMC and PJSC's

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...

have been accredited respectively by the

Joint Commission International The Joint Commission is a United States-based nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c) organization that accredits more than 22,000 US health care organizations and programs. The international branch accredits medical services from around the world. A majorit ...

(JCI) in 2014 and

International Standardization Organization The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ) is an international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. Membership requirements are given in Art ...

(ISO) in 2017. On December 1, 2017, Isham was appointed as the Minister of Health by replacing Zulkarnain Hanafi after being consented by

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

Hassanal Bolkiah Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III ( Jawi: ; born 15 July 1946) is the 29th and current Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei since 1967 and the Prime Minister of Brunei since independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one ...

First LVAD

At a

press conference A press conference or news conference is a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalists to hear them speak and ask questions. Press conferences are often held by politicians, corporations, non-governmental organ ...

held at Gleneagles JPMC (GJPMC) on 29 November 2014, Health Minister Adanan Yusof revealed that Brunei's first

left ventricular assist device A ventricular assist device (VAD) is an electromechanical device for assisting cardiac circulation, which is used either to partially or to completely replace the function of a failing heart. The function of a VAD differs from that of an artifici ...

(LVAD) has just been installed in a patient with heart condition. Mumtazali Mohd Abdul Aziz, 51, reportedly had a mechanical heart implant that allowed him to lead a somewhat normal life following surgery. On 11 November, a

surgical team Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pa ...

led by Dato Isham installed an LVAD under the supervision of Professor Dr. Jaap Lahpor of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, a leading expert in the installation of mechanical cardiac devices.

COVID-19 pandemic

At a press conference held at the MOH on 13 April 2020, Dato Isham said that the development of patients testing positive once more for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

is extremely concerning because it is still unknown how the new virus infects and how it will evolve. Seven additional patients were revealed to have tested positive for the coronavirus once more after the recent finding of one repeating patient, bringing the total to eight. For individuals who fall into certain criteria, the second COVID-19 booster shot administration will begin on 15 June 2022. Dato Isham revealed this at a news conference held at the Al-'Afiah Hall, Ministry of Health (MoH). According to him, despite having had three prior

vaccines A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity The adaptive immune system, also known as the acquired immune system, is a subsystem of the immune system that is composed of specialized, systemic cells and pro ...

, older people and those with weaker

immune systems The immune system is a network of biological processes that protects an organism from diseases. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to parasitic worms, as well as cancer cells and objects such as wood splinters ...

are more likely to experience serious side effects with COVID-19.

MOH Intelligence Hub

At the EVYD Campus in Brunei's Jerudong, the MOH and Singapore-based EVYD Technology officially opened the MOH Intelligence Hub. The ministry wants to aggressively use technology to advance Brunei's healthcare ecosystem's global-leading digital optimization. Dato Isham stated:

Views

Dato Isham emphasized the significance of creating and maintaining efficient systems and capability for avoiding, identifying, and handling public health catastrophes. On 25 and 26 August 2022, he delivered a speech at the 12th

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy, economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

(APEC) on Health and the Economy meeting in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

. In addition, he emphasized the necessity for continuous monitoring based on transparency and the use of

digital technology Digital technology may refer to: * Application of digital electronics * Any significant piece of knowledge from information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange al ...

to link information throughout the world, as well as for assessing, modernizing, and reforming the

global health Global health is the health of the populations in the worldwide context; it has been defined as "the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide". Problem ...

security system. According to Dato Isham, the future health budget would increase as a result of the rising price of

prescription drugs A prescription drug (also prescription medication or prescription medicine) is a pharmaceutical drug that legally requires a medical prescription to be dispensed. In contrast, over-the-counter drugs can be obtained without a prescription. The rea ...

and

medical care Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profess ...

, an increase in the number of patients, and the prevalence of

non-communicable diseases A non-communicable disease (NCD) is a disease that is not transmissible directly from one person to another. NCDs include Parkinson's disease, autoimmune diseases, strokes, most heart diseases, most cancers, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, oste ...

. Speaking before the Legislative Council, he suggested a $418 million health budget for the

fiscal year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...

2023–24, an increase of 8.3% over the amount allotted the year before. Despite the government's best efforts, the minister noted, chronic health problems including

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

malignancies Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse. Malignancy is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous ''benign'' tumor in that a malignancy is not s ...

, and

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

remain on the rise.

Initiatives

At the 7th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Brunei Darussalam, Dato Isham stated that overall, cardiovascular disease-related

premature Premature may refer to: * ''Premature'' (2014 film), an American comedy film * ''Premature'' (2019 film), an American romantic drama film * ''PREMature'', a 2015 British television drama miniseries See also * Premature aging, of an organism * P ...

mortality Mortality is the state of being mortal, or susceptible to death; the opposite of immortality. Mortality may also refer to: * Fish mortality, a parameter used in fisheries population dynamics to account for the loss of fish in a fish stock throug ...

rose from 20% in 2013 to 26% in 2018. According to him, it is crucial to consider fresh approaches to providing

healthcare Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...

in this new normal brought on by the epidemic. In addition, the minister stated that in light of the present pandemic of non-communicable illnesses, they must consider using the recent lessons in digital health to the treatment of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Young people's heart disease, the significance of risk factor modification, and the application of digital technologies and machine learning in the management of heart disease were all given particular attention during the meeting. Isham Jaafar paid a visit to the School of Public Health

NUS NUS or Nus may refer to: * National University of Singapore * Nus, a town in the Aosta Valley of Italy * Neglected and Underutilized Species, or Neglected and Underutilized Crops * National Union of Students (Australia) * National Union of Students ...

on 8 February 2023 as part of follow-up conversations following the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). He was joined by members of the Brunei High Commission as well as his wife, Datin Dr. Hajah Norsurainah @ Noraslinah binti Haji Ramlee. Along with Prof Teo Yik Ying and the other Vice Deans present, they offered their insightful knowledge of public health issues and perspectives on population health efforts. At the third iteration of the Youth Town Hall Brunei, Young Professional Networks (YPN) and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) recently sponsored a discussion with senior government officials. Youths had the chance to interact with two officials, Badaruddin Othman and Isham Jaafar, at the forum with the theme Leading in Times of Uncertainty, which highlighted how times of crisis and uncertainty are frequently times of reckoning and a chance to reflect, learn important lessons, and uncover new opportunities. The goal of the discussion is to inspire young people to overcome the COVID-19 disruptions by being more resilient and prepared, especially given that the epidemic is still spreading around the world.

Personal life

Isham is married to Datin Dr. Hajah Norsurainah @ Noraslinah binti Haji Ramlee. During his personal free time, he enjoys

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

and

racquet sports Racket sports are games in which players use a racket or paddle to hit a ball or other object. Rackets consist of a handled frame with an open hoop that supports a network of tightly stretched strings. Paddles have a solid face rather than a ne ...

such as

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

, and

table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

Awards and honours

Honours

Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei ( ms, Darjah Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Yang Amat Mulia), also translated as The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei, is an order of Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei D ...

Second Class (DPMB) – Dato Paduka (2011) * BRU_Order_of_Loyalty_to_the_State_of_Brunei

Order of Setia Negara Brunei The Most Blessed Order of Setia Negara Brunei ( ms, Darjah Setia Negara Brunei Yang Amat Bahagia), also translated as The Most Blessed Order of Loyalty to the State of Brunei, is an order of Brunei. It was established on 29 November 1959 by Sultan ...

First Class (PSNB) – Dato Seri Setia (2018)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Government ministers of Brunei Health ministers of Brunei Alumni of the University of Dundee