KUALA LUMPUR: Type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed in Malaysians as young as 14 years old, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told the Dewan Rakyat.
“This is worrying,” says Dzulkefly, on Thursday (July 16).
He revealed that 1,932 patients under the age of 30 were registered in the National Diabetes Registry (NDR) in 2025, up from 1,926 in 2024. As of June 2026, an additional 660 new cases have already been recorded.
Responding to a question from Datuk Dr Richard Rapu (GPS-Betong) regarding rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among youths, the minister shared data from the 2025 National Health Screening Initiative.
Out of 347,813 individuals aged 18 to 30 screened, 3.4% were found to have high blood glucose levels and 8.8% had high blood pressure, despite 98.1% having no prior history of NCDs.
Dzulkefly warned that many young people are living with hidden risk factors for hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity.
He contrasted the impact of NCDs against Covid-19, noting that while the pandemic claimed over 37,000 lives in two years, the "silent pandemic" of NCDs claims 94,000 lives annually.
Addressing the effectiveness of the government's anti-obesity and anti-sugar campaigns, Dzulkefly reported positive behavioural shifts. Daily carbonated drink consumption among adolescents dropped from 36.9% in 2019 to 32.4% in 2024, while overall sugary drink intake fell from 36.9% to 16.4%.
He credited these initial results to the "War on Sugar" campaign and the Sugar-Sweetened Beverages tax, which has been increased to 90 sen per litre.
However, he noted it is still too early to fully evaluate the long-term impact of the Strategic Plan to Reduce Sugar Intake Among Malaysians 2024–2030, adding that the ministry will sustain its momentum through ongoing literacy and dining health initiatives.
