MOH’s allocation of services and supplies for psychiatry and mental health were cut by RM580,000, while the health education budget suffered a 15% cut (RM9 mil). Peka B40 lost RM5 mil.
Getting buy-ins from stakeholders has proven to be a “challenge” with MOH’s proposed “generation end game” to smoking. Making the case to prevent diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer in Malaysia won’t be any easier.
MOH deputy director for national health financing Dr Muhammed Anis admits trust issues between public and private health care providers and says MOH also must be more transparent with data.
In 2017, primary care & outpatient for diabetes cost RM3.1 bil, 325% higher than hospitalisations for cancer at RM728 mil and 311% higher than hospitalisations for cardiovascular disease at RM753 mil.
Based on 2017 data, a new MOH-WHO report reveals that annual direct health care costs of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer in Malaysia exceed RM9.65 billion; combined with lost productivity costs, the burden of the three NCDs is RM22.5 billion.
Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman notes that diabetes kills more people than HIV in South Africa and that the burden from NCDs, like hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, is increasing globally.