KUALA LUMPUR: A silent health crisis is plaguing the country - almost 70% of participants in last year's free health screening under the Health Care Scheme for the B40 group (Peka B40) were found to have at least one non-communicable disease (NCD).
Head of Benefit Package and Pricing, Strategic Purchasing Department at ProtectHealth Corporation, Dr Yussni Aris @ Haris, said that last year a total of 301,650 individuals were screened through Peka B40.
She said 25% had two or more NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity.
"This shows an increase in 'multimorbidity' cases among the lower income group.
"It proves the high risk faced by the group, who may not be aware that they are actually suffering from NCD," she told Bernama recently.
She said the findings of the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey revealed a worrying trend, where 2.5% of adults in Malaysia suffer from all four major NCDs simultaneously.
Dr Yussni said two out of five people with diabetes did not know they had the disease until they were screened.
She emphasised that the increase in NCDs affected individual health and posed a threat to the country's overall productivity.
She said that, based on a report by the World Health Organisation in 2022, NCDs contributed to 74% of deaths in Malaysia, mostly involving the productive age group between 35 and 64.
"If this trend continues, more people will suffer from complications such as strokes, heart attacks and kidney failure.
"The treatment is not only expensive but also burdens the country's health system and the patient's family," Dr Yussni added.
Launched on May 31, 2019, only 1.6 million Malaysians from the B40 group have benefited from free health screenings under Peka B40 as of May 31 this year.
The scheme offers comprehensive health screenings to 6.9 million recipients of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR), with an ongoing commitment to raising awareness of the importance of early prevention among the community.
To expand the reach of screening, Dr Yussni said ProtectHealth had established strategic partnerships with 3,979 private clinics, 1,044 Health Ministry clinics, 149 government hospitals and 211 private laboratories.
She said this initiative also included community outreach programmes and door-to-door visits to ensure that high-risk and low-income groups were not left out.
"We can provide access, facilities and information, but if the people themselves do not come forward for screening, this silent health crisis will continue to drag on unnoticed," she said.
ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd (ProtectHealth) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ProtectHealth Malaysia under the Health Ministry, which was established on Dec 19, 2016.
The company is responsible for coordinating, administering and managing various financing initiatives for healthcare services mandated by the ministry.
This includes Peka B40, the Madani Medical Scheme and the Hospital Services Outsourcing Programme.