HULU LANGAT: With tens of billions of ringgit spent annually on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the Health Ministry is shifting its focus to prevention with healthcare programmes designed to prevent Malaysians from falling ill in the first place.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that a healthy population was key to a productive workforce and a prerequisite to national prosperity under the Malaysia Madani framework.
He said the cost of managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has ballooned to RM64.3bil annually, outstripping the ministry’s 2026 allocation of RM46.52bil.
“We can no longer rely purely on sick care. We must shift towards prevention and empower the people through health system reforms.
"We want the rakyat to be health literate and capable of making wise decisions for their own well-being. As the health minister, it is my responsibility to ensure this is realised,” he said on Sunday after officiating the ministry's latest Wellness Hub here.
The Wellness Hub is a community-based health centre that promotes prevention, healthy lifestyles and early interventions to help Malaysians keep illness at bay.
Dzulkefly said five new Wellness Hub centres opened their doors this year, bringing the total number to 38 across the country.
He said apart from weight-loss and smoking cessation programmes, the Wellness Hub also addresses other critical issues such as stunting and malnutrition among children with nutrition counselling services to educate parents with knowledge on how to ensure balanced diets from early pregnancy through the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
"These targeted interventions aim to ensure future generations grow optimally and free from the burden of malnutrition. Our approach is through behavioural insights, or behavioural science.
"We do not merely issue instructions any longer. Instead, we provide choices and guidance to encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles through voluntary behavioural change.
"The public wants to lead a healthy lifestyle, but they need to know how. These centres will guide and assist them," Dzulkefly said, adding that the hubs are deliberately located in suburban areas to give residents easier access, particularly those who live far from larger healthcare facilities in urban centres.
He said since it began its operations, the hubs have delivered positive outcomes with many clients achieving success in fitness and weight-loss programmes.
Dzulkefly pointed out that heart disease remains the top ailment affecting Malaysians, followed by pulmonary-related conditions and cancer.
