THE Health Ministry is stepping up efforts to change public behaviour and encourage healthier lifestyles as non-communicable diseases (NCDs) claim about 96,000 lives in Malaysia every year.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said tackling NCDs required more than raising awareness, with greater emphasis on changing everyday habits that contribute to the growing burden of disease.
“People’s habits are among the factors behind one in six adults having diabetes, while one in three has high blood pressure or hypertension. Both conditions can lead to serious complications, including heart attacks and strokes.
“There are also other health concerns that I have highlighted. We have a comprehensive action plan to address these public health challenges,” he said in Parliament on Monday.
Dzulkefly said the ministry was also applying behavioural insights through a strategy known as ‘nudging’ to encourage people to make healthier choices.
The approach takes into account the affordability and availability of healthier food, as well as how easily people can access it. It also involves working with the government, industry players and the wider community.
Among the measures are excise duties on sugar-sweetened beverages, nutrition education, cooperation with food manufacturers to reduce sugar and salt content, and campaigns to encourage physical activity.
In 2024, the ministry received RM25 million from the excise duty on sugar-sweetened beverages.
Of this, RM21 million was used to purchase SGLT2 inhibitor medicines, while the remaining RM4 million went towards advocacy programmes under the War on Sugar campaign. - November 2, 2026
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