MIRI: A seven core prevention approach is being applied to prevent an increase in noncommunicable diseases (NCD) including the prevalence of diabetes in the country.
It involves Clinical Management; Increasing Patient Compliance; Action with NGOs, Professional Bodies and Other Stakeholders; Monitoring, Research and Surveillance; Capacity Building; and Policy and Regulatory Interventions.
“The Ministry of Health has been implementing the Malaysian National Strategic Plan for Non Communicable Diseases (or NSP-NCD), using diabetes and obesity as the entry points,” said Deputy Premier Datuk Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian on Today.
His speech was read by Minister of Transport Datuk Sri Lee Kim Shin.
“Results of the two latest National Health and Morbidity Surveys showed a dramatic increase in the prevalence from 11.2 per cent in 2011 to 18.3 per cent in 2019 for Malaysian adults aged 30 years and above, an increase of 7.1 per cent over a period of just eight years,” he said.
Sim made these observations at the launching of National Level World Diabetes Day here.
He expressed concern that about a third or 36 per cent of the diabetic population are remain not diagnosed.
“This increase is surely very much linked to the vast increase in the prevalence of obesity in Malaysia,” he asserted.
Sim added, according to the Narional Health and Mobidity Survey (NHMS) in 2019, out of 50.1 per cent of Malaysian adults, 30.4 per cent were overweight and 19.7 per cent obese.
“This is a worrying trend as obese individuals are at risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, certain types of cancers and many other noncommunicable diseases,”he said.
He added that scientific evidence has shown that NCDs can be prevented.
“To achieve this, we must utilise a strategic approach with emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention activities such as creating a health promoting environment which encourages a healthy lifestyle, increasing awareness of NCD through health promotion and education, and early NCD risk factor identification and intervention,” he pointed out.
The government, Sim said ,has undertaken numerous programmes and activities to prevent and control NCD , using a comprehensive approach of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.
