Malaysia faces critical diabetes crisis, MMA urges drastic action
15.6 per cent of adults had diabetes and more than half were either overweight or obese.
SHAH ALAM – Malaysia is currently facing a severe diabetes crisis, with the country recording the highest prevalence in Southeast Asia and the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) urging immediate and comprehensive intervention to halt the escalating trend.
The MMA said the situation had reached a critical level as the prevalence of diabetes continued to rise each year.
A report by The Star revealed that Malaysia had ranked 13th globally and the highest in Asean, with 21 per cent of adults living with the disease.
Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023 also showed that 15.6 per cent of adults had diabetes and more than half were either overweight or obese.
MMA President Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo described the situation as deeply alarming and stressed the need for involvement from the government, the food industry, educational institutions and the wider community.
He said in a statement for World Diabetes Day that diabetes has escalated from a health concern to a national crisis and that bold, coordinated action is urgently needed.
He also explained that uncontrolled diabetes had led to serious complications such as kidney failure, heart disease, amputations, blindness and stroke, all of which required intensive and costly lifelong treatment.
Reports by the Health Ministry and World Health Organisation (WHO) previously showed that diabetes contributed RM4.38 billion in direct healthcare costs in 2017.
The MMA warned that the cost would continue to rise if prevention efforts, early screening and lifestyle changes were not strengthened.
He said that the current situation cannot be allowed to continue and emphasised that prevention is far more cost-effective than treatment.
He emphasised the importance of Malaysians undergoing annual health check-ups to enable timely detection and intervention.
He further added that delayed diagnosis not only harmed patients but also increased pressure on the healthcare system and the national economy.
In response, the MMA proposed a series of measures including making annual screenings a cultural norm from the age of 18, expanding public health education across schools, workplaces and media platforms and ensuring consistent messaging on healthy eating and physical activity.
The association also urged the government to reinforce healthy food environments by gradually reducing added sugar content in processed foods and drinks by 20 to 30 per cent within three to five years, expanding sugar taxation, improving front-of-pack nutrition labels and encouraging more nutritious and affordable food options.
He stressed that there is an urgent need to reduce sugar in daily food and drinks and emphasised that the food and beverage industry must contribute to the solution rather than add to the problem.
The MMA further called for an integrated approach involving ministries, local authorities, healthcare professionals, schools and community organisations.
It also expressed support for establishing an inter-ministry task force or strategic collaboration between public health agencies and non-governmental organisations to strengthen coordination of existing initiatives.
He stated that health is a shared responsibility and stressed that only collective effort can curb the rise of diabetes and protect the well-being of future generations.
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