The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS 2019) recently released by the Health Ministry affirmed sobering statistics on the state of health among Malaysians. We are increasingly burdened with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and many of us are at risk of ill health, including infants and children. Health inequity will worsen, is worsening.
We need to urgently look at integrating the gender lens, the influence of socioeconomic determinants, and local-level data into population health planning and reform.