SEREMBAN: The government has to spend RM4.9bil a year to implement efforts to deal with problems related to diabetes and it is estimated that 3.9 million adults in the country currently suffer from the disease, which are worrying figures, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
The Health Minister said the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey also found that the prevalence of diabetes among adults aged 18 and above showed an increase from 11.2% in 2011 to 13.4% in 2015, further rising to 18.3% in 2019.
She said that continuous efforts from all relevant parties are crucial in dealing with the disease, including through the organisation of the SeDia Cohort, which is the collection of long-term data to understand the complex interaction between lifestyle, environment, genetics and socio-economic development.
She said this to reporters after officiating the Seremban Diabetes Cohort (SeDia) programme, a collaboration between the Health Ministry and the International Medical University (IMU), which is the first large-scale cohort study focusing on diabetes patients, here on Saturday (July 8).
Meanwhile, Dr Zaliha said that the Health Ministry is reviewing efforts to promote research and development (R&D), to increase the production of medicines in the country, including by involving various ministries.
She said that this will enable a reduced dependence on imported medicines. – Bernama
