INNOVATIVE healthcare solutions provider Novartis Malaysia is supporting a national health screening initiative via a community-based campaign to address the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The campaign aimed to improve the health awareness of Malaysians – especially those from underserved areas – by empowering them to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
NCDs like cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes and cancer which are the leading cause of death in the country are straining Malaysia’s health system. This can be prevented with early interventions and health screening is an effective method.
The three-month campaign is conducted with the support of ProtectHealth and several local non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The team travel to several key locations throughout Malaysia to conduct free health screening and talks by medical professionals on several topics about general health awareness and healthy eating.
The first nationwide screening at PPR Sri Stulang in Johor Bharu gathered 294 people who registered for the PeKa (Skim Peduli Kesihatan) B40 screening, of which 35% were eligible for screening. In the upcoming weeks, the crew will travel within Malaysia’s southern, central and northern regions to engage with the underserved communities.
“Data collected from the National Health Screening Initiative (NHSI) of the Health Ministry (MOH) revealed that of the total number of individuals aged above 40 who did the screening, 47% of them were confirmed to have one or more NCDs while 46% of them had NCD risk factor,” revealed Novartis Malaysia & Brunei country president Elwakil Mohamed.
“This is indeed worrying as many of them aren’t aware of their health. By fronting this campaign, Novartis is not only re-imagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives but also re-imagining innovative care.”
Data from NHSI also showed that not only individuals over 40 are at risk or have NCDs but even those below 40 were also confirmed to have one or more NCDs and are at risk, according to Dr Feisul Mustapha who is the deputy director of NCDs and an active advocate of NCDs Prevention and Control in Malaysia.
“A comprehensive campaign like this that emphasises screening and health awareness is crucial in helping Malaysians detect early signs of NCDs and receive proper treatment to lead a better quality of life,” he stressed. – Oct 21, 2022
