Dzulkefly aims to expand respiratory care services to 902 clinics
The Health Ministry aims to have 902 health clinics nationwide implement an integrated lung health approach by the end of this year.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the implementation was part of the Healthy Lung Initiative 2025-2030 to address the country’s respiratory disease burden.
He said the approach combined health promotion, screening, smoking cessation efforts and referral pathways into a person-centred continuum of care.
“We are taking aggressive action in the country because in Malaysia, lung disease is among the top three causes of hospital admissions and deaths.
“Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affect a significant proportion of the population,” he said in his speech before officiating the 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Health Research Unit on Respiratory Health (Respire), here today.
Also present were Universiti Malaya (UM) Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Professor Dr Kaharudin Dimyati and UM Medical Centre director Professor Dr Mohd Zukiflee Abu Bakar.
Dzulkefly said the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey found that 6 per cent of adults and up to 13 per cent of children had asthma.
“About one in three people with asthma remain undiagnosed, while tuberculosis continues to place a significant burden on the country’s health system.
“In 2024, the tuberculosis incidence rate was recorded at 96 cases per 100,000 population,” he said.
He said the ministry was also expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted chest X-ray screening for early disease detection.
Among the efforts is the LungShield IHH-KKM-PDRM programme, which aims to proactively screen 10,000 frontline traffic police personnel.
A dedicated database known as Nalury, or the National Lung Health Registry, has also been established to support programme monitoring and evaluation, he said.
“The Health Ministry is also addressing the causes of respiratory diseases through enforcement of the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), particularly to protect young people from the marketing of vape and electronic cigarettes.
“We are also leveraging digital innovations such as the Cik Era AI companion to provide accessible smoking cessation support through mobile devices,” he said.
On today’s programme, Dzulkefly said Respire had successfully brought together partners from Southeast Asia, South Asia and the United Kingdom to address respiratory health priorities through research, capacity building and collaboration.
“I understand that this is currently the final Annual Scientific Meeting for the Respire programme. However, I hope it will not mark the end of this collaboration, but instead provide an opportunity to channel our collective experience towards more resilient and future-ready partnerships.
“I encourage the Respire community to continue working with your respective health ministries to translate research findings into clinical practice and policy,” he said.
Category: MJN enews
