KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — Sarawak and Sabah continue to record the highest tuberculosis (TB) death rates in Malaysia, with Sarawak reaching 12.07 deaths per 100,000 people in 2024, according to the latest Ministry of Health (MOH) data.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad, in a Dewan Negara reply on March 13, said the country’s overall TB mortality rate fell to 7.58 per 100,000 people in 2024, down from 7.86 in 2023 and 7.88 in 2022.
However, the rates remain significantly higher in Sarawak (12.07), Sabah (11.84), and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (9.32) compared to the national average.
Sarawak’s TB death rate has been on an upward trend since 2019, rising from 9.49 per 100,000 people that year to a five-year high of 12.07 per 100,000 people in 2024. The increase was particularly sharp in 2022, when the rate jumped to 11.17 after a slight dip in 2021 to 8.25.
Sabah has also seen fluctuations over the same period, with mortality rates peaking in 2023 at 12.94 per 100,000 people—the highest level on record—before dropping slightly in 2024. Kuala Lumpur followed a similar trend, with TB deaths increasing between 2019 and 2022, peaking at 10.51 per 100,000 people, before showing a gradual decline in recent years.
“TB can be cured if patients adhere to prescribed treatments. However, the disease can be fatal if left untreated or if treatment is delayed,” Dzulkefly said.
The incidence of new TB infections in Malaysia has fluctuated over the past five years, with Malaysian citizens consistently making up the majority of cases. From 2019 to 2024, between 83.9 percent and 86.9 percent of TB cases were recorded among Malaysian citizens, while non-citizens accounted for 13.2 percent to 16.1 percent.
Malaysia’s TB mortality rate among citizens stood at 6.82 per 100,000 in 2024, down from 8.33 in 2023 and 8.23 in 2022. The rate among non-citizens fell to 6.16 in 2024 from 8.55 in 2023 and 9.94 in 2022.
Under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Malaysia aims to reduce new TB cases by 80 percent and cut TB mortality by 90 percent by 2030. This means lowering annual infections to 5,000 cases and reducing the mortality rate to 2.2 per 100,000 people. However, current trends suggest that achieving these targets remains a challenge.
To address the issue, the MOH has implemented the National Strategic Plan to End TB (2021-2030), focusing on early detection, targeted screening, and timely treatment. Key initiatives include:
- Screening and Diagnosis: TB screening for individuals visiting healthcare facilities, particularly those with persistent symptoms such as prolonged cough, fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, night sweats, or coughing up blood.
- Contact Tracing: Screening individuals exposed to TB patients and those at higher risk, including people living with HIV, dialysis patients, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, diabetics, the elderly, smokers, and detainees in prisons or rehabilitation centers.
- Latent TB Infection (LTBI) Screening and Treatment: Preventive treatment for individuals with latent TB to reduce the risk of progression to active disease by up to 10%.
- AI-Powered Mobile X-Ray Units: The ministry has acquired three ultra-portable X-ray machines with artificial intelligence (AI) technology to enhance TB detection, particularly in remote areas where access to healthcare facilities is limited.
“With this facility, it is hoped that early TB detection and treatment can be accelerated, ultimately helping to control and prevent the spread of the disease,” Dzulkefly said.
Despite these efforts, Malaysia continues to face challenges in controlling TB, particularly in high-burden states like Sarawak and Sabah. The government has reiterated its commitment to achieving the 2030 targets, but further intervention may be needed to close the gap and reduce mortality rates in vulnerable populations.
