Selangor Journal
Chief Statistician of the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin. — Picture via FACEBOOK

Ischaemic heart diseases remain as principal causes of death in Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 26 — Ischaemic heart diseases remained as the principal causes of death in Malaysia with 16,325 deaths or 15.0 per cent of total medically certified deaths, said Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin.

He said there were 11,330 (69.4per cent) deaths caused by Ischaemic heart diseases involving males, while 4,995 (31.6per cent) were females in 2019.

“Ischaemic heart diseases were the principal causes of death for all major ethnic groups in Malaysia where Bumiputera (14.5per cent), Chinese (14.0per cent) and Indians (20.4per cent),” he said in a statement in conjunction with the release of Report of Statistics on Causes of Death, Malaysia, 2020 today. 

The report presents the statistics on causes of death in Malaysia for 2019 by demographic characteristics at national, state and administrative districts.

The statistics used as inputs for the formulation of policies and planning of programmes related to health as well as a useful source of reference for researchers and academia. 

Globally, Mohd Uzir said Ischaemic heart diseases are also recorded as the principal causes of death for developed countries such as Australia (11.1per cent) and USA (23.1per cent).

“Unhealthy lifestyle and diet are among the factors contributing to death caused by Ischaemic heart diseases today,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Uzir said pneumonia was the second highest cause of death with 12.2 per cent followed by cerebrovascular diseases (8.0per cent), transport accidents (3.8per cent) and malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (2.4per cent).

Ischaemic heart diseases were the principal causes of death in 78 administrative districts out of 160 districts and the highest percentage was recorded in Sik (27.1per cent), he said.

Pneumonia was the principal cause of death in 51 administrative districts with the highest percentage recorded by Kota Setar (19.5per cent).

Overall, Mohd Uzir said there were 173,746 deaths recorded in 2019 of which 109,164 (62.8per cent) were medically certified deaths and 64,582 (37.2per cent) non-medically certified deaths.

 

— Bernama

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