KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia spends huge sums to treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with the country spending nearly RM10bil in 2017, says Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
She revealed that RM9.65bil was spent that year for the matter, which takes up 16.8% of the total healthcare expenditure in Malaysia. This figure was based on the government’s expenditure in 2017, with the details contained in a 2022 report titled “The Direct Health-Care Cost of Non-Communicable Disease in Malaysia” by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Ministry.