KUALA LUMPUR, August 26 — Insurance company Sun Life Malaysia has launched free diabetes screenings in eight states in Malaysia that are expected to benefit at least 10,000 Malaysians.
Sun Life Malaysia’s “Brighter Health Screening Programme”, organised in partnership with Walnut Wellness, Roche Diagnostics (M) Sdn Bhd, AM PM Pharmacy Sdn Bhd, and Tigas Alliance Sdn Bhd, will offer diabetes screenings from September to October at 47 pharmacy branches in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Perak, Johor, Penang, and Sabah.
Sun Life Malaysia CEO Raymond Lew said a report by his company found that Malaysia ranked the highest, with 3.5 million Malaysians, on the list of diabetes prevalence among Asian countries.
“The report also showed that 93 per cent of Malaysians thought screening for diabetes was necessary, but only 27 per cent have actually been screened. This means, while there is good awareness levels in terms of the importance of pre-emptive action, there is a worrying lack of actual preventive measures being taken by Malaysians,” Lew said in a statement.
“As part of Sun Life Malaysia’s purpose to help people live healthier lives, we are committed to empowering more Malaysians to be proactive in mitigating this silent killer and we believe the blood glucose screenings will be a crucial first step in the right direction,” he added.
The free screenings also aim to identify potential undiagnosed diabetes among Malaysians in order to prevent or delay substantial long-term complications. Beyond direct intervention to screen potentially diabetic patients, the programme is also looking to raise overall awareness of the disease and educate them on proper diabetes management to lead healthier lives.
Sun Life Malaysia has focused on diabetes since 2013, collaborating with Diabetes Malaysia and HOPE Worldwide KL through financial aid for diabetic patients and awareness cum diabetes prevention programmes for the underprivileged.
