PERAK is embarking on a large-scale health campaign against cardiovascular diseases that would go on for several years.
State Health Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said the campaign themed “A fight against cardiovascular diseases”, would encompass a holistic approach in addressing the causes of heart problems.
“It will not be a one off thing but a long term campaign stretching over three to four years.
“I have met with the relevant government agencies over this and if all goes well, the campaign should begin by year-end,” Dr Mah said after opening a public health seminar in Tapah recently.
Checking out: Dr Mah visiting some of the booths set up in conjunction with the public health seminar. The state government, he added, had asked for a RM1mil annual allocation from the Malaysian Health Promotion Board to carry out the campaign.
Earlier in his speech, Dr Mah urged the public to take care of their health to reduce their risks of getting chronic diseases such as diabetes.
“Diabetic patients are at risk of developing hypertension and heart diseases, which are the two ‘bonus’ diseases that one gets with diabetes.
“Diabetes is the ‘mother’ or shall I say the ‘grandmother’ of all chronic diseases affecting a person from head to toe,” he said.
Dr Mah said there were about 80 million people, mostly in Asian countries, suffering from diabetes.
“Of this number, 42.3 million are from India, 20.8 million in China, 8.4 million in Indonesia and 6.8 million in Japan.
“In Malaysia, the National Morbidity and Health survey conducted in 1996 showed that 8.2% of the country’s population was suffering from diabetes,” he said.
This, he noted, was in comparison to the 6.3% recorded in 1986.
“I think it has increased to 15% by now,” he said, recommending a balanced diet since prevention was always better than cure.
He added that most often than not, those suffering from chronic diabetes also had kidney failure while some even go blind or need to have their limbs amputated.
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