KUALA LUMPUR: Revenue from excise duties on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) has been used to procure medications for diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He told the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday(Dec 2) that from January to August, the total collection from SSB duties amounted to RM54.9mil, while the amount last year came to RM68.6mil.
"A total of RM21mil was received from channelled SSB excise duty revenue to the Health Minister for the procurement of sodium-glucose transport protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor medications.
"This amount was distributed to all states in September 2025 and has benefitted 49,128 patients," he added.
He said the ministry has also allocated RM40mil for peritoneal dialysis treatment this year.
"The percentage of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis at the Health Ministry’s facilities in 2025 is 42%, an increase from 36.6% in 2020," he said.
"The main benefits of this treatment include the flexibility to perform it at home, allowing patients to continue their daily routines more freely without frequent visits to dialysis centres.
"It is also gentler as it mimics actual kidney function and does not require needles, making it easier for some patients," he told Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang).
Wong had asked about the total revenue collected from SSB excise duty this year, and the allocation for funding SGLT2 inhibitor medications as well as the peritoneal dialysis programme, as announced in Budget 2025.
