Heart disorders are among the major causes of mortality in Malaysia, accounting for 17 percent of the 18,515 documented fatalities in 2020, according to Health Director-General Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan.
According to the report titled ‘The Direct Healthcare Cost of Noncommunicable Diseases in Malaysia,’ published in 2022, in 2017, it was estimated that RM3.93 billion out of a total of RM9.65 billion in healthcare was used to treat heart patients.
“The cost is expected to continue to increase if appropriate measures are not taken to control and prevent the disease,” he said in a statement today in conjunction with the World Heart Day Friday.
This year’s World Heart Day, he said, is centered on raising awareness of the value of maintaining a heart that is free from complications, and the Ministry of Health (MOH) is working to strengthen prevention efforts and early risk factor detection so that early intervention and treatment can be given.
One of the key initiatives, according to Dr. Muhammad Radzi, was to launch the National Health Screening Initiative (NHSI) in July 2022, with a target population of 1.5 million Malaysians.
He claimed that Peka B40, community programs like Komuniti Sihat Perkasa Negara (KOSPEN), and home-to-home screening programs through the Madani Afiat Program were used to conduct screening activities at all health facilities.
“Since it was launched in July 2022, a total of 2,128,048 individuals have been screened of which a total of 1,111,568 individuals have been screened up to Sept 27, this year,” he said.