KUALA LUMPUR: Two working committees will be formed to address social determinants of health among the Orang Asli communities, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The Health Minister stated that the two ministerial-level working committees, namely the Orang Asli Social Determinants of Health Steering Committee and the Orang Asli Social Determinants of Health Technical Committee, will adhere to the principle of "leaving no one behind."
These committees will develop strategies and interventions to reduce the social health determinants gap for the Orang Asli by improving their social, economic and educational status, aligning their health level with the mainstream community.
He made this announcement during his speech at the 2022 Orang Asli Health Survey briefing at Parliament on Monday (Oct 28).
Dzulkefly highlighted that the survey identified health issues among the Orang Asli caused by various factors, such as socio-economic status, education level, and other social determinants of health.
He noted that these factors are largely beyond the control of the Health Ministry and require commitment and support from multiple stakeholders.
The working committee will include secretary-generals and director-generals from 18 relevant ministries and agencies to address the findings of the 2022 Orang Asli Health Survey.
Among the ministries involved are the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry, among others.
The committees will also include representatives from the Orang Asli community, such as Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Dr Ramli Mohd Nor, who is also the Cameron Highlands Member of Parliament.
Dzulkefly mentioned that the ministry will also develop a National Strategic Plan for the Orang Asli, based on social determinants of health, to address health issues identified in the survey.
"This strategic plan, titled the 'Healthy and Prosperous Orang Asli Agenda,' will be developed with collaboration from various ministries and agencies," he said.
The survey utilised the same questionnaire and methods as those in the National Health and Morbidity Survey to allow for comparisons between the health status of the Orang Asli community and the general Malaysian population.
The first nationwide community-based survey of the Orang Asli, conducted between July and September 2022, involved 15,950 respondents from three main tribes: Senoi, Proto-Malay, and Negrito, across 68 villages in eight states.
Among the survey findings, 45.8% of respondents were unaware of having high cholesterol, 31.5% did not know they had high blood pressure, and almost 4,000 adult respondents had been diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB).
Additionally, it was revealed that 1 in 2 women aged between 15 to 49 practised family planning, with 99.1% of respondents using modern contraceptives.
The survey also reported that betel quid chewing remains prevalent among the Proto-Malay tribe at 70.3%, followed by Negrito at 28.8% and Senoi at 25%.
Excessive chewing of betel quid, which consists of betel leaf, areca nut, and slaked lime, poses a potential risk for mouth cancer.
