Almost 70% of participants under the PeKa B40 free health screening programme last year were found to have at least one non-communicable disease (NCD), highlighting a growing “silent health crisis” in Malaysia.
ProtectHealth Corporation’s Head of Benefits Package and Strategic Procurement Unit, Dr Yussni Aris @ Harris, said a total of 301,650 individuals underwent screenings in 2023, with 25% of them diagnosed with two or more NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity.
“This shows a rising trend of multimorbidity among the low-income group. Many are at high risk without realising they are already living with NCDs,” he told Bernama.
Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023 reinforced this concern, revealing that 2.5% of Malaysian adults suffer from all four major NCDs simultaneously, while two in five diabetes patients were unaware of their condition until screened.
Dr Yussni warned that the surge in NCDs not only threatens individual health but also impacts national productivity.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), NCDs accounted for 74% of all deaths in Malaysia in 2022, with the majority occurring among those aged 35 to 64 — the country’s most productive age group.
“If this trend continues, more people will face complications such as stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure. Treatment is not only costly but will also burden the healthcare system and patients’ families,” he said.
Since its launch on 31 May 2019, only 1.6 million B40 Malaysians have taken advantage of the free screenings under PeKa B40 as of 31 May this year, despite the programme being open to 6.9 million recipients of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR).
To expand access, ProtectHealth has partnered with 3,979 private clinics, 1,044 Ministry of Health (MOH) clinics, 149 government hospitals, and 211 private laboratories. Outreach initiatives also include community programmes and home visits to ensure high-risk and low-income groups are not left behind.
“We can provide access, facilities, and information, but if the people themselves don’t come forward for screening, this silent health crisis will continue unnoticed,” Dr Yussni stressed.
ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of ProtectHealth Malaysia under the MOH, was established on 19 December 2016. It is tasked with coordinating, administering, and managing various healthcare financing initiatives mandated by MOH, including PeKa B40, Skim Perubatan MADANI, and the Hospital Services Outsourcing Programme (HSOP).
