PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry (MOH) is preparedness and on alert to face Disease X if it appears in this country, according to Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan. Speaking to reporters after launching the Malaysian Diet Guide Series and the Healthy Eating Responsibility For Women (HER) Initiative on Monday (Oct 2), he assured the public that they need not worry about the disease. He emphasized that, although Disease X was not the main highlight of the recent 76th United Nations General Assembly, Malaysia remains vigilant about the possibility of its emergence. Furthermore, he expressed confidence in Malaysia’s ability to effectively deal with Disease X based on their previous experiences managing disease outbreaks such as COVID-19, Nipah virus, SARS, and MERS-CoV. Dr Muhammad Radzi also highlighted that Malaysia’s health system is continuously strengthened to handle such diseases, and the public will always be informed of disease outbreaks.
According to Dr Muhammad Radzi, the public should proactively seek information and be prepared to confront the disease by following health guidelines, adopting good health practices, and staying updated with the most recent information about Disease X. Disease X is a term coined by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2018 to refer to an unknown pathogen that has the potential to cause a global epidemic. Although the specific nature and timing of Disease X have yet to be identified, health experts have expressed concerns about its impact.
In his opening address at the event, Dr Muhammad Radzi underscored that overweight and obesity remain significant public health issues, with 50.1% of Malaysians diagnosed in 2019. He cited the Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Survey conducted in 2019, which revealed that one out of three students experienced weight problems, with an increase in prevalence among students aged 10 to 17 years from 26.9% in 2012 to 30.4% in 2017.
The HER initiative is a continuation and translation of the Malaysian Diet Guide, aimed at addressing nutritional problems among women of reproductive age between 15 and 49 years. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
