Malaysia to allocate more to mental health aid for students: Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will allocate more resources and effort to helping students in need of mental health assistance, especially through using technology that may be more familiar for a generation of digital natives, said Khairy Jamaluddin.

The health minister said adequate mental support should be given to schoolchildren as the Covid-19 pandemic and school closures have had significant effects on their mental health.

“The closure of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted our children greatly. This is compounded by the effects of social media in shaping our children’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviour.

“The ramifications of prolonged school closures will not be fully understood until we see the effects in years to come. We must ensure that schools will no longer be shut,” he said in his note at the 72nd session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in Himeji, Japan today.

Khairy also called for the equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines for children when they get regulatory approval as it will enable children to learn safely at their schools.

He said he does not want a repeat of the inequitable delivery commitments for vaccines currently being fulfilled to date.

Khairy said Malaysia also acknowledges the importance of nurturing healthy and resilient future generations through schools and education, and that he appreciated efforts to invest in the education system towards a more supportive and safer environment in nurturing optimal health among children. 

Khairy also said that Malaysia remains concerned about the double burden of malnutrition on children.

“We have set up a bipartisan, whole-of-government taskforce to address the issue of stunted growth among some of our children in Malaysia,” he said. 

On the issue of the campaign on tobacco control for schools promoting health, Khairy said Malaysia will join some other member states soon in regulating electronic nicotine delivery systems, especially in ensuring that they do not become accessible to schoolchildren.

On Sunday, Khairy led a Malaysian delegation to the 72nd World Health Organisation Western Pacific Region Committee Meeting, which is being held in Himeji from yesterday until Friday. – Bernama, October 26, 2021