Lessons learned from the public health response to chemical pollution in Tebrau River, Johor, Malaysia, 2024
10.5365/wpsar.2025.16.2.1235
- Author:
Mohd Faiz Ibrahim
1
;
Nurazimah Mohd Aris
2
;
Afiqah Syamimi Masrani
3
;
Noor Adillah Dawad
2
;
Md Faizul Abd Razak
2
;
Haidar Rizal Toha
2
;
Mohd Anwar Shahrir Ahmad
3
;
Jeyanthini Sathasivam
4
,
5
Author Information
1. Environmental Health Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Setia Alam, Malaysia
2. Johor Bahru District Health Office, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
3. Kulai District Health Office, Kulai, Malaysia
4. Home / Archives / Vol. 16 No. 2 (2025): April &ndash
5. June / Lessons from the Field Lessons learned from the public health response to chemical pollution in Tebrau River, Johor, Malaysia, 2024 Authors Mohd Faiz Ibrahim Environmental Health Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Setia Alam, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4680-4410 Nurazimah Mohd Aris Johor Bahru District Health Office, Johor Bahru, Malaysia Afiqah Syamimi Masrani Kulai District Health Office, Kulai, Malaysia Noor Adillah Dawad Johor Bahru District Health Office, Johor Bahru, Malaysia Md Faizul Abd Razak Johor Bahru District Health Office, Johor Bahru, Malaysia Haidar Rizal Toha Johor Bahru District Health Office, Johor Bahru, Malaysia Mohd Anwar Shahrir Ahmad Kulai District Health Office, Kulai, Malaysia Jeyanthini Sathasivam Johor State Health Department, Public Health Division, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
disaster response;
public health events;
rapid response team
- From:
Western Pacific Surveillance and Response
2025;16(2):11-17
- CountryWHO-WPRO
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Problem: In September 2024, an illegal toxic waste dumping incident along the Tebrau River in Johor State, Malaysia, raised widespread health concerns in Johor Bahru and Kulai districts. The pollution released a strong, unpleasant odour, resulting in acute symptoms among exposed individuals, including sore throat, dizziness and coughing.
Context: The Tebrau River is a vital waterway supporting urban populations in Johor. This was not the first chemical pollution event in the region, as previous incidents, including the Kim Kim River crisis in 2019, highlighted the region’s vulnerability to such events. The involvement of multiple districts and agencies during the response presented challenges in coordination and data sharing.
Action: The Johor Bahru District Health Office promptly deployed a rapid assessment team to assess the affected areas and implement both active and passive case detection. Community engagement targeted vulnerable populations, such as schoolchildren, to minimize exposure risks. Additional dumping sites identified along the Tebrau River prompted expanded surveillance and a state-level response to coordinate efforts across districts and all health-care facilities.
Outcome: A total of 484 individuals were exposed to the pollution, 334 of whom developed symptoms related to chemical exposure. Timely public health actions consisted of actions to mitigate the impact. Health facilities were placed on high alert and community trust was maintained through proactive engagement. However, gaps in cross-district coordination and challenges accessing environmental data underscored areas for improvement.
Discussion: This incident highlighted the importance of rapid assessment, cross-sector collaboration, community engagement and integrated data systems. It also showed that effective public health action is possible despite environmental data limitations. The strengthening of communication, standardized protocols and real-time data sharing will be critical to improving future chemical pollution events.
- Full text:2025082909190147629wpsar.2025.16.2.1235 Ibrahim FINAL.pdf
