Late detection leads to rising TB cases in Malacca
He said even though all Health Ministry facilities in the state provide free and curable early screening services, the public still takes this potentially fatal disease lightly.
'Every year, around 500 to...
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Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Increase tobacco tax to RM0.77 per stick in 2026 budget, says think tank
Malaysia's tobacco tax currently accounts for 58.6% of retail prices, below the World Health Organization's recommendation of 75%. (Pixabay pic) PETALING JAYA : A health think tank today called for the excise duties on cigarettes and other tobacco products to be raised to at least RM0.77 per stick in the next federal budget. Azrul Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, said raising the excise tax would lift its share of the retail price to 61% and bring in an additional RM771.8 million in revenue. 'Malaysia spends an estimated RM16 billion annually treating smoking-related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and lung cancer,' he said in a statement. 'For every RM1 collected from tobacco excise duties, RM4 is spent on treating smoking-related diseases. We do not yet know how much will be spent on treating vape-related diseases.' Malaysia's tobacco tax currently accounts for 58.6% of retail prices, below the World Health Organization's recommendation of 75%. The excise rate has not been raised since September 2014, when it was increased from 28 sen to 40 sen per stick. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has indicated that the government is considering a hike. When announcing the 13th Malaysia Plan, he said the government would broaden its 'pro-health' tax beyond sugary products to cover tobacco, vapes and alcohol as well. He said the expanded tax framework aimed not only to increase revenue, but more critically, to encourage behavioural change and curb the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Separately, Azrul said the ban on the open display of cigarettes, vape and e-cigarettes under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 also needed to be carried out. He said enforcement had been delayed from April to October, allowing continued open sales. 'Experience from countries such as Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Australia with the display ban in place has shown that it works to reduce smoking initiation, which is common during adolescence,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
48 more ‘wellness hubs' to promote healthy lifestyles
Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad (centre) at the newly-opened wellness hub in Kuala Langat, Selangor, today. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : The health ministry is to set up 48 more wellness hub community centres across the country to help promote a healthy lifestyle among the people, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said. He said 33 such hubs have been established since 2020 in urban and rural areas and the remaining 48 hubs are expected to be completed by 2033, Bernama reported. 'While hospitals and clinics play a crucial role, I regard wellness bubs as the cornerstone of healthcare, particularly in urban and rural areas, offering substantial support for people's health,' he said at the opening of a wellness hub in Kuala Langat, Selangor. A new facility will be launched in Kuala Selangor later this year, the fourth in the state, after Hulu Langat, Sabak Bernam and Kuala Langat. Dzulkefly said the centres had helped nearly 1.5 million Malaysians, of whom 75% had successfully lost weight, 74% improved their physical fitness, and 54% quit smoking. He said the wellness hubs, formerly known as community health promotion centres, have been upgraded into community centres that offer health and wellness services, focussing on behavioural changes and promoting consistent, sustainable healthy lifestyles. At today's ceremony, the ministry entered a collaboration with the fire and rescue department on health and wellness initiatives, including activities at the Fire and Rescue Academy and fire stations. Dzulkefly said more than 1,100 firefighters have taken part in activities at wellness hubs and most of them have successfully lost weight and become more fit.
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Malaysia Organ Crisis: 10,800 wait despite 400,000 pledges
KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly 10,800 Malaysians are waiting for organ transplants, yet only a fraction of more than 400,000 registered pledges since 1997 have resulted in actual donations, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said. He said kidneys are the most urgently needed, followed by liver, heart and lung transplants but donations often fail to proceed without family consent. Launching the National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week 2025 at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa today, Dzulkefly urged Malaysians to respect the wishes of loved ones who had registered as donors. 'Too often, organ donations cannot proceed because families withhold consent. This year's theme, Derma Organ: Warisku, Hormati Ikrarku (Organ Donation: My Heirs, Respect My Pledge), is about ensuring that donors' wishes are respected. 'If families honour these pledges, many more lives could be saved,' he said. As of July, 404,975 Malaysians had registered as organ donors, including 16,635 new pledges through the MySejahtera app. Despite this, donation rates remain low. In 2024, only 46 posthumous donations were recorded, equivalent to 1.33 donors per million population (PMP). By comparison, Turkiye recorded 7.5 PMP, the United States 34.14 PMP, and Spain 52.56 PMP. 'These figures show we are still far behind. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Iran – all Muslim-majority nations – have made organ donation a national priority. 'We must strengthen awareness across all races, cultures and religions in Malaysia,' Dzulkefly said. He said that the demand for transplants continues to rise as cases of end-stage organ failure increase nationwide. 'In 2023 alone, about 53,000 Malaysians were living with end-stage kidney failure. Dialysis is not a cure, it is only a treatment – three times a week, three hours per session. We must move beyond dialysis and focus on curative therapy – organ transplants,' he said. Since the country's first local transplant in 1975, Malaysia has successfully performed 3,359 organ transplants – 2,238 from living donors and 1,121 from deceased donors. Tissue donations, including corneas, heart valves, bones and skin grafts, are also on the rise, with nearly 200 recorded in 2024. A milestone was achieved last year when 74% of cornea transplants at Sungai Buloh Hospital used tissue donated by Malaysian citizens, reducing reliance on foreign sources. Looking ahead, Dzulkefly said the Health Ministry plans to transform the National Transplant Resource Centre into the National Transplant Centre to strengthen governance, expand capacity and accelerate innovation in transplantation. 'It can no longer just be talk, workshops or blueprints. We must leave footprints – real outcomes. Strong governance, proper coordination across centres and strategic planning are key,' he said. Malaysia will also push the organ donation agenda onto the regional stage. Dzulkefly said Malaysia would champion organ donation as a collective regional priority during the Asean Health Ministers' Meeting in 2026. 'Organ donation is not merely a medical issue, but one of compassion and sacrifice. Let us together make it a legacy of humanity, passed from one generation to the next,' he said. Acknowledging challenges such as workforce shortages, the contract doctor system and limited resources, Dzulkefly nevertheless stressed that organ donation will remain a key priority for the ministry.
