The Ministry of Health (MOH) has revealed alarming statistics relating to Malaysians’ health, whereby 73% of deaths in the country are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which are closely linked to unhealthy lifestyles.
Worse, MOH Deputy Minister, Lukanisman Awang Sauni further asserted that nearly half of Malaysians are not even aware that they are suffering from NCD and this leads to a higher risk of complications when it is not treated early.
Source: Prostate Cancer Foundation
As reported by BERNAMA, Lukanisman in his speech when officiating the 2023 national-level Bulan Malaysia Sihat Sejahtera (BMSS) celebration in Putrajaya yesterday (8 September) also said that 1 in 2 adults in our country is overweight or obese according to the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey.
Moreover, the highest prevalence of this is among women at 54.7% and individuals aged 55 to 59 at 60.9%.
MOH Deputy Minister, Lukanisman Awang Sauni
The survey also asserted that 1 in 4 adults in Malaysia is not physically active and the least active groups are women (28%), students (39%) and senior citizens (59%).
It also found that 1 in 3 Malaysians has low health literacy given their unhealthy and inactive lifestyle, not eating adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables and smoking.
The MOH Deputy Minister thus hoped that the implementation of BMSS through the Healthy Malaysia National Agenda would raise public awareness about living a healthy lifestyle.
So, what do you guys think of these damning statistics? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: MOH: Over RM1.2 Million Worth of Compounds for Smoking Offences Were Issued Last Month
