Create dedicated agency to respond effectively to pandemics, govt told

 

Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Khalib said despite a rapid rollout of vaccines, Malaysia was one of the hardest-hit by Covid-19 in the Asia-Pacific region.

PETALING JAYA: A think tank has urged the government to form a health security agency to respond more effectively to global pandemics.

Azrul Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, said Malaysia needed an agency which combined the best in public health, social care expertise and experience from various parties as the Covid-19 pandemic had changed the view that outbreaks should be handled solely by the health ministry.

“This pandemic has taught countries a brutal lesson on the need to not just look at the pathogen, the disease it causes and the epidemiology, but also the socioeconomic implications on countries, the impact on communities and lives,” he said in a statement.

“This agency is not a ‘nice-to-have’ but a ‘must-have’. It is a necessary investment,” he said.

Stating that the agency should take the lead in marshalling resources from the government, non-government agencies, academia and the private sector to respond to future threats, he said the agency would equip the country with the capacity to prepare, prevent and respond to infectious diseases and other threats to health.

Azrul Khalib.

Azrul said the agency should comprise experts and representatives from different ministries and non-government agencies, such as the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre and the welfare department.

He said the Greater Klang Valley Special Task Force formed in 2021 was a “great example” of such effective collaboration.

Azrul said despite achieving a rapid rollout of vaccines, Malaysia was one of the hardest hit by Covid-19 in the Asia-Pacific region.

He said despite achieving the 16th highest vaccine coverage in the world earlier this year, Malaysia had the second highest mortality rate in Asean at 2.43 deaths per million — which is among the highest in Asia.

“As we come to the end of 2022, all eyes are turned towards recent developments in China.

“We cannot afford to further lose billions of future revenue, years of economic progress and thousands of lives,” he added.

Yesterday, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the health ministry would continue to step up preparations to face a possible hike in the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths following a surge in infections in China.

He said among the measures to be taken was increasing the uptake of booster doses to reduce the severity of infections and the risk of death. - FMT