KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians must be made more aware of the importance of health to drive lasting behavioural change and curb the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCD).
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said punitive measures will not curb the rise of NCDs and the key lies in understanding human behaviour.
“The Health Ministry is now focusing on ensuring that the public becomes more informed and aware of the importance of health through accurate and easily understood information dissemination.
“When awareness levels increase, the next step is to apply behavioural insight methods to help communities effectively and sustainably adopt healthy lifestyle habits,” he said during the Dewan Rakyat question-and-answer session today.
He was responding to Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan (BN-Kuala Pilah), who asked about the ministry’s initiatives to address the growing burden of NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
Responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat), who pointed out that existing campaigns have yet to slow the rise of NCDs, Dzulkefly said the issue lies in the complexity of changing human behaviour.
“In my view, behavioural change among the public remain very complex to address.
“People know what is ideal and best for themselves, but why don’t they do it? Perhaps due to financial constraints, limited access to healthier options, or lack of time.
“This strategy should not rely solely on punitive measures such as fines — we must first ensure that people are informed, and that remains our biggest challenge,” he said.
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