KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — Post-pandemic, Malaysia has established a “One Health” approach to zoonotic disease involving three ministries: the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM), and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES).
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad told Senator Amir Md Ghazali in a written Dewan Negara reply last Monday that 75 per cent of new diseases originate from animals, and that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected.
“Strengthening governance and planning is carried out through continuous review and updating of strategies, guidelines, and operational plans,” he said.
“Joint activities, including monitoring, risk assessment, prevention, detection, and response, are implemented based on four main pillars, namely collaboration, communication, coordination, and capacity building.”
Amir had asked about the government’s post-pandemic public health strategy to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the emergence of new zoonotic diseases.
Dzulkefly also said as Asean chair and lead chair of the Asean One Health Network this year, Malaysia hosted the first Asean One Health Network meeting last August.
“At the global level, Malaysia’s One Health approach is aligned with the Quadripartite framework, comprising four major global agencies: the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).”
To address global health threats, the MOH implements a comprehensive preparedness strategy encompassing early detection, rapid response, and the readiness of health care facilities. Key measures include:
- Maintaining close collaboration with Asean countries, WHO, and global surveillance networks to obtain timely information on any outbreaks or health threats abroad that may potentially spread to Malaysia. This information is used to enable early mitigation actions at the national level;
- Enhancing preparedness through health screening, temperature checks, travel risk assessments, and the management of symptomatic cases to reduce the risk of new infectious diseases entering the country at International Points of Entry;
- Conducting continuous clinical and laboratory surveillance to detect infection patterns, changes in disease behaviour, and potential increases in cases. This system functions as an early warning system to identify any early signs of a new wave; and
- Actively monitoring outbreak incident reports through the Event-based Surveillance (EBS) platform reported to the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC), including media monitoring, community reports, and alerts from health facilities.
“Any outbreak incidents or risks of new waves of infectious diseases will be managed in accordance with existing standard operating procedures (SOPs), outbreak guidelines, and infectious disease management manuals in force. This ensures that actions are uniform, coordinated, and effective at all levels,” said Dzulkefly.
To ensure optimal preparedness of health care personnel, facilities, and the nation, MOH conducts regular simulation exercises, tabletop exercises, and drills at both national and state levels to assess preparedness, response effectiveness, and to identify gaps that require improvement.
“MOH also ensures optimal access to treatment, laboratory testing, medical equipment, and health facilities, including molecular diagnostic laboratory capacity, hospital networks, health clinics, and other critical logistical requirements during outbreaks,” said the health minister.
“MOH further adopts a comprehensive approach to risk communication and community engagement. This approach ensures that the public receives accurate, transparent, and up-to-date information on outbreak situations, thereby reducing public anxiety and encouraging appropriate preventive actions.”
