‘Silent killer’ diseases put RM64bil toll on economy, says minister

 

Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said he will table a 2021 report on non-communicable diseases in the Dewan Rakyat on Nov 14. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Four “silent killer” diseases place a toll of RM64.2 billion on the economy every year, says health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.

The diseases, which include heart and lung diseases, stroke, diabetes and cancer, cause 72% of early deaths in Malaysia, he said in a statement ahead of a 2021 report on non-communicable diseases to be presented to Parliament on Nov 14.

“The total economic burden for the four diseases is estimated at RM64.2 billion”, including the RM12.4 billion spent by the government every year on healthcare, he said.

Dzulkefly said the cost also includes the indirect costs from the loss of productivity caused by absenteeism, presenteeism (staying at work although unwell) and early death.

He said the health ministry launched a national health screening initiative in July 2022 to detect non-communicable diseases at an early stage. The programme has conducted a total of 4 million screenings, with 1.6 million screenings done this year. - FMT