The advantages of universal health coverage

As a country develops and the population ages, the likelihood is that it will need to increase its public financing to meet the changing health needs of the population. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia has been acknowledged for adopting a universal approach to providing healthcare, but growing population needs such as the increasing number of non-communicable diseases and the ageing population, are taking a toll on the system.

While Malaysia maintains its highly subsidised public healthcare for the poor, it plans to further achieve universal health coverage (UHC) through public and private partnerships, said Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.