Table 5 NCDs in Malaysia

NCDs have been on the policy agenda for almost two decades after a substantial rise in their prevalence was noted in the National Health and Morbidity Survey II (NHMS II, 1996). In response, the National Diabetes Prevention and Control Programme was launched in 1996 and strengthened in 2000 [56]. It was the precursor of the National Strategic Plan on Non-Communicable Diseases (NSP-NCD) 2010–2014, [36] which sets out a comprehensive action plan for the major NCDs, setting a new direction.

This new political will was seen as having driven certain structural changes, such as the establishment of an NCD section within the Disease Control and the Family Health Development Divisions of the Ministry of Health, with complementary actions in other ministries and greater engagement by the Malaysian government with NCDs in the global arena. However, there are also concerns that the Ministry of Health is still dominated by silo working that hindered progress, with others expressing concern that the government’s programmes remained focused on individual diseases. It was suggested that this might be due to an unwillingness to confront powerful vested interests in the food and tobacco industries.

A high priority has been given to diabetes, which has been supported by a strong lobby since the 1990s. A 1996 Healthy Lifestyle campaign on Diabetes is cited as an example of positive action [31].