KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 -- Malaysian public health expert Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to an international panel tasked with evaluating global drug policies.

Dr Adeeba, who chairs the Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF), will join the independent group of experts established to assess the effectiveness of the current international drug control system.

The panel will provide key recommendations for a landmark global review of drug policy commitments scheduled for 2029.

Describing the appointment as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Dr Adeeba said the panel's work is crucial to determine if international drug policies genuinely protect public health a...