The UCSI University Annual Public Health Campaign 2016/17 was successfully held in Kuala Sepetang on 22^nd and 23^rd December 2016, with its goals of raising public awareness of the risk factors of cancer and the importance of early detection. The campaign also aimed to educate the public on the importance of regular medical check-ups as well as improve community health through lifestyle interventions.

 The project was primarily funded by Khind Starfish Foundation under Projects for Happiness, with 10 % of the budget raised from public donation during the previous health campaign in July 2016. Of the RM 9,998 awarded, RM X was used for project expenditures.

 The public health campaign (PHC) consisted of two main activities. Screening tests including waist-to-hip ratio measurement, blood pressure measurement, body fat and weight analysis and blood glucose test were provided free-of-charge for visiting public. An exhibition on the risk factors and prevention of common cancers in Malaysia was set up in the form of wall-mounted posters in both Malay and Chinese languages. PHC members were stationed at the exhibition site to explain the information to the public and to answer any further inquiries.

 We also invited two pharmacists along to provide counselling to the public as well as to answer any questions that can only be handled by qualified healthcare providers. Working closely with the ADUN of Kuala Sepetang, YB Chua Yee Ling, we were fortunately provided with free accommodation for PHC members and given a centrally-located local community hall to use as the event venue. The YB office also helped with publicizing the event to the locals, most of whom are either involved in the fishery industry or retired residents.

 The local community of Kuala Sepetang staying in the town area were mostly Hokkienspeaking Chinese, especially the elderly. This presented a problem to PHC members, as only a few could converse in the dialect. However, by rotating the members stationed at each screening counter, we managed to accommodate those members of public who could only speak Hokkien. Translating the exhibition posters from English into Malay and Chinese was a wise decision, as we observed that visitors could quickly understand the material.

 Over the two days, we served 150 members of public through our screening tests. The 22^nd coincided with Winter Solstice, which was widely celebrated in a rural township such as

Kuala Sepetang. This resulted in poor turnout during our first day. However, the turnout of the second day was much better. There were even people waiting for our counters to open when we arrived at the site early in the morning. Overall, the community was very receptive of our health campaign.

 We hoped through our campaign that at least some of the local residents had better understanding of their health profile and would take the necessary actions to live a healthier lifestyle. Some of the visitors suggested that the campaign should be held on a regular basis, however this will be heavily dependent on the availability of sponsorship in the future.

 The UCSI University Annual Public Health Campaign 2016/17 certainly brought joy to the usually quiet township of Kuala Sepetang. By providing health screening tests for free, the local community had the opportunity to understand their health conditions and learn about ways of healthy living. We could see that the local community were very grateful for our services; one lady even brought us enough rice dumpling balls for all PHC members on Winter Solstice day in appreciation.

 We hope that our campaign has successfully raised public awareness on the dangers of cancer and the importance of prevention and early detection. However, it is difficult to judge the extent of their understanding and retention of the information given in the long run. In order to achieve long term improvement in health outcomes, we believe a regular health campaign serving the area is necessary.

 The project has opened our eyes to the daily life of a rural township. By staying in a small homestay situated in the middle of the fishing village, we got used to the sound of boats setting off to sea before dawn, as well as the hustle and bustle of friendly fishermen going about on their businesses throughout the day. We learned to adapt to an environment out of our comfort zone. We also had to think out of the box in terms of setting up the event venue when faced with unforeseen difficulties. Looking at the level of understanding the rural population had, we were grateful for the education that we received.

 “The most important thing I learned is that we should not assume that things that seem most basic to us is known by everyone too. By bringing ourselves to the level of the targeted population, communication will be more effective.” (Liew Yee Yan, Year 2 pharmacy student)  “We were able to plant the seed of knowledge, and awareness of the importance of good health into the minds of the public, which really is the core purpose of our event – Public Health Campaign! As members, besides having the satisfaction of helping the small community there, we were also able to create some beautiful memories for ourselves.” (Eugene Low Yi Ming, Year 2 pharmacy student)

 “This event is valuable because we were able to build basic health awareness among the population that have very limited education levels. At the same time, we were very satisfied to be able to help the villagers by performing screening tests. On a side note, this is a great opportunity for us to understand each other better! (Jolene Bak Chia Jie, Year 2 pharmacy student)