
Selangor to carry on TB treatment incentive
SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government will continue the RM800 Tuberculosis (TB) Treatment Incentive this year.
State Public Health and Environment Committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the incentive was aimed at lower-income groups.
"Patients, especially from the B40 group, can obtain consistent treatment till they fully recover," she said in a statement on Monday, adding that Malaysia recorded 26,183 TB cases, with 20% or 55,337 cases in Selangor.
She also stated that incidences of the disease have increased by 2.5% annually since 2020, making the need for continuous and comprehensive intervention even more pressing.
"Cooperation between the state government, the state health department and the Malaysian Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis (MAPTB) bore fruit when the treament success rate rose from 80% in 2020 to 88% in 2024," she said, adding that the state health department focus on detection, treatment and education helped.
Jamilah said initiatives include investing in healthcare technology, such as high-tech ultra-portable X-ray machines.
In addition, the latest laboratory tests and the formulation of child-friendly medication introduced by the Health Ministry also boosted efforts.
"We hope to save more lives and reduce the burden of the disease on communities through approaches using medical innovation," she added. – Bernama
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
QuickCheck: Can rats detect tuberculosis by smell?
RATS might not be the first creatures that come to mind when you think of healthcare saviours. Much like in the Tom and Jerry cartoons, we often perceive rats as quick and mischievous. However, in reality, their keen sense of smell is being utilised for far more significant purposes. Can rats be used to detect tuberculosis (TB)? Verdict: YES A Belgian nonprofit called Apopo, originally known for training rats to sniff out landmines, has been training African giant pouched rats to detect TB – a disease that remains prevalent in many regions of Africa – since 2008. In medical centres across Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania, these rodents are already at work. With their extraordinary sense of smell, they can detect the scent of TB bacteria in human sputum samples, often catching infections that standard lab tests miss. It takes about nine months to train a rat, but the results are fruitful. In just their first 16 months of work in Mozambique, the rats helped uncover 764 additional TB cases, representing a 44% increase in detection compared to conventional clinic methods. Of course, there are limitations. These furry diagnosticians cannot determine whether an infection is drug-resistant, and their results still require confirmation through laboratory tests. Nevertheless, many researchers and healthcare professionals see great potential. In the future, the rats might even be stationed in regional labs and hospitals. However, further studies are needed to gauge the public's perception of this unconventional approach to saving lives. References:


The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Occupational therapy for mental health boost
Jamaliah (seated) listening to a briefing while on her rounds to visit booths on rehabilitation equipment at the MOTNC 2025 in Klang. Selangor government teams up with association to plan new rehabilitation programmes for communities across 12 districts Selangor government is open to working with Malaysian Occupational Therapy Association (Mota) to improve mental health support and create a more inclusive public healthcare system in the state. State public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the collaboration could strengthen the state's mental health efforts, particularly through early intervention programmes like Selangor Mental Sihat (Sehat). The Sehat programme focuses on emotional and mental well-being and includes several support channels – the 'Sehat Hub Counsellor' programme, the Sehat Hotline and regular mental health talk slots such as 'Bicara Hati bersama Kaunselor' and 'Pakar Psikologi' on SelangorFM radio. For a start, she urged the Selangor Health Department (JKNS) to work with Mota in carrying out rehabilitation programmes for communities across 12 districts in the state. 'Occupational therapists can play a key role in advocacy and promoting the services offered because there may be some in the community who do not know how to seek treatment and rehabilitation,' she told Bernama at the launching of the 2025 Malaysian Occupational Therapy National Conference (MOTNC) in Klang. Also present were 2025 MOTNC chairperson Dr Mohamad Qayum Mohamad Sabri, Mota president Assoc Prof Dr Ahmad Zamir Che Daud and the Health Ministry occupational therapy rehabilitation officer and medical therapist profession head Nora Hamid. Jamaliah also highlighted the urgent need to increase the number of occupational therapists in Malaysia to meet the current demand, especially with the increased number of senior citizens, chronic diseases, mental health issues, and special needs children. With the current ratio of only one occupational therapist for more than 10,000 people, she said Malaysia was still far behind when compared to Japan (1:100) and the United States (1:5,000). 'Extra effort such as training more students, empowering the career pathway, expanding service opportunities and recognising the contribution of the profession need to be implemented immediately for the welfare of the people,' she said. Jamaliah said MOTNC had become an important platform to strengthen cross-sector collaboration networks, and a catalyst for new innovations in interventional approaches in Malaysia and to enhance the standards of the profession to a higher level. The three-day conference was organised by Mota, in collaboration with the Occupational Therapy Services of the Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Department of Health and the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.


The Sun
29-05-2025
- The Sun
Joint action leads to drop in dengue cases in S'gor
SHAH ALAM: Dengue cases in Selangor have shown a notable decline following coordinated control efforts involving various agencies, said State Public Health and Environment Committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin. As of Epidemiological Week 21 (EW 21/2025), which ended on May 24, the state reported 519 cases — an 8.3 per cent decrease from the 566 cases recorded the previous week. 'Cumulatively, 11,003 dengue cases have been reported in Selangor this year up to EW 21, marking a significant 66 per cent drop compared to 21,316 cases during the same period in 2024,' she said in a statement today. Jamaliah added that only two dengue-related deaths have been recorded so far this year, compared to 11 in the corresponding period last year. She said the downward trend reflects the effectiveness of joint efforts by the Selangor Health Department (JKNS), local authorities, relevant agencies and the community in implementing dengue prevention and control measures. However, she reminded the public to remain vigilant and ensure that their homes and surroundings are free of Aedes mosquito breeding sites, especially with the rainy season approaching. 'Continued cooperation from all parties is essential to sustain this positive trend,' she said.