KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 — The IfitEr (I Fit and Eat Right) Weight Management Programme, a health intervention initiative implemented at 30 ‘wellness hubs’ nationwide, recorded 9,031 clients who have succeeded in losing weight so far.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said under the initiative, 4,846 clients have also been able to quit smoking.
“The Ministry of Health (MOH), via the Malaysia Sihat National Agenda (ANMS), is always proactive in enhancing public awareness of health issues, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
“Under Phase One (2020-2022) of the ANMS, the spread of health literacy and awareness on the importance of health checkups will continue to be implemented from time to time,” he said during the question and answer session at the Senate today.
Lukanisman was responding to a question from Senator Prof Tan Sri Mohamed Haniffa Abdullah on steps taken by the ministry to enhance public awareness of health screening and the spread of health literacy, with 73 per cent of deaths recorded in the country being from non-communicable diseases caused by unhealthy living.
The programmes implemented under health literacy and awareness include the Health Promotion in Learning Institutions (HePiLI), a health promotion and education to target groups as early as preschool children.
“We also have the Community Health Empowerment programme through the wellness hub and the Community Health Agent (MyChampion), which consists of volunteers from Combi, Kospen, dental icons, drug awareness ambassadors, village health representatives, and members of the advisory panel and outreach programmes through Wellness on Wheel (WOW) involving 623 community localities in Malaysia,” he said.
The ministry also implemented the National Health Screening Initiative (NHSI) in July last year for those aged 18 and above, with 1.38 million individuals screened this year.
— Bernama
