KUALA LUMPUR - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for lifestyle medicine to be integrated into Malaysia's healthcare system, with greater emphasis on disease prevention to address the challenges of an ageing population and rising chronic illnesses.
WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore Dr Rabindra Abeyasinghe said a more proactive approach was needed to ensure that longer life expectancy also meant more years spent in good health.
He said Malaysia's life expectancy was projected to reach 80 years by 2040, but its current healthspan, or the number of years a person lives in good health, was only 64 years.
"Without efforts to improve healthspan, people could spend more than 15 years in poor health, placing a tremendous burden on the healthcare system," he told Bernama after delivering the keynote address and officiating the 6th Malaysian Lifestyle Medicine Conference 2026 here recently.
Abeyasinghe said lifestyle medicine should not focus solely on encouraging individuals to adopt healthier habits, but also involve governments and communities in creating environments that support healthy living.
He said access to nutritious food, safe neighbourhoods, recreational facilities and opportunities for physical activity was essential to helping people make healthier choices.
He added that preventive measures should be encouraged throughout life rather than introduced only after chronic diseases or age-related health problems developed.
Highlighting the economic benefits of prevention, he cited a 2024 WHO investment case which estimated that four major non-communicable diseases cost the Malaysian government RM65 billion.
He said every ringgit invested in reducing salt consumption could generate a return of RM60 over 15 years, while tobacco control could yield RM6 for every ringgit invested.
"Prevention and good health are investments in the future," he said
Meanwhile, Malaysian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (MSLM) founder and president Adjunct Prof Dr Siva Poobalasingam said preparing Malaysia for an ageing population required a whole-of-society approach involving policymakers, healthcare professionals, workplaces, educational institutions, families and communities.
He said healthier ageing could reduce the burden on caregivers, help older people remain independent and support a more sustainable healthcare system.
Malaysia is projected to become an ageing nation by 2030, with 15 per cent of its population expected to be aged 60 and above.
Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar Vice Dean for Population Health and Lifestyle Medicine Dr Ravinder Mamtani said international collaboration was important to advancing lifestyle medicine and improving public health.
He said the institution had developed a Certificate in Lifestyle Medicine programme approved by the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine, which had trained about 400 participants.
The three-day conference, organised by MSLM at Berjaya Times Square Hotel here from Oct 24 to 26, carried the theme "Lifestyle Medicine: The Foundation of Longevity Medicine" and focused on promoting healthier lifestyles and extending healthspan. - BERNAMA