KUALA LUMPUR: The country’s first female deputy prime minister, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, has been awarded the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in Ophthalmology.
The award was presented to her at the Malaysian Ophthalmology Scientific Congress (MOSC) 2025 here today.
Dr Wan Azizah, the wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, where she graduated as a qualified ophthalmologist.
In her speech at the event, which was themed “United We Stand: One Vision for Malaysia”, Dr Wan Azizah said ophthalmologists were privileged to restore one of life’s most precious gifts.
“We are able to see the faces of our loved ones, the beauty of our country, and the hope of the future,” said the Bandar Tun Razak Member of Parliament.
She said the congress reflected the strength of collaboration and the significant impact that could be achieved when expertise and resources are unified.
Dr Wan Azizah said findings from the 2023 National Eye Survey indicated a significant reduction in cases of preventable blindness.
“The rate of blindness decreased from 1.6 per cent to 0.8 per cent in the East Coast states, and from 2.1 per cent to 0.6 per cent in Sarawak, reflecting a very encouraging achievement,” she said.
She added that maintaining eye health in the country was a shared responsibility.
“Both public and private hospitals play an important role in ensuring that quality eye care is accessible to all,” she said.
Dr Wan Azizah said she hoped the recognition given to her today would inspire everyone, particularly young doctors, to continue striving for personal and professional growth.
“Let us seize the opportunity to learn from one another, build strong networks, and inspire the next generation of ophthalmologists to achieve excellence,” she said.
Also present were Deputy Health Director-General (Research and Technical Support) Datuk Dr Nor Fariza Ngah and Malaysian Society of Ophthalmology President Dr Miswan Muiz Mahyudin.
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