KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 ― Malaysia is committed to end tuberculosis (TB) epidemic by year 2035, said Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Delivering the country’s statement at the United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting on the Fight Against Tuberculosis in New York today, he said the burden of TB for Malaysia was still significant with notification rate of 81 per 100,000 population and mortality rate of 6.5 per 100,000 population for year 2017.
Acknowledging that TB can be eliminated by ensuring universal access to high quality diagnosis, treatment and care of all forms of TB including multi-drug resistant TB (MDRTB), he said Malaysia has been implementing systematic screening of high-risk group of getting TB since 2015.
“Malaysia as an upper higher middle-income country pledges that the cost for rapid molecular test and anti-TB treatment for drug resistant TB be reviewed, so that more people can benefit from this test and treatment, “ he said in a statement issued here today.
Dzulkefly is now in New York attending the UN High-Level Meeting on the Fight against Tuberculosis and the High-Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases.
He said Malaysia recognises that cooperation between public and private sector, socio-economic and psychosocial supports from the community are also important factors for successful TB treatment and outcome.
“Malaysia is committed to implement, monitor and evaluate the strategies proposed in the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Control (2016-2020) with full support and engagement of a wide range of stakeholders,” he said.
On another note, Dzulkefly said he had three separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Palau, Japan and the Philippines on the sidelines of the tuberculosis meeting.
He said Palau’s Minister of Health Dr Emais Roberts gave positive feedback on Malaysia’s candidate for the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Western Pacific, Datuk Dr Narimah Awin and also expressed Palau’s readiness to strengthen cooperation with Malaysia in the health sector.
During the meeting with Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Katsunobu Kato, Dzulkefly said both of them had an elaborate discussion about candidates from the respective country and how would they play their role should they be elected.
Having a fruitful discussion with the Philippines Secretary of Health, Francisco T. Duque, Dzulkefly said the Philippines also nominated a candidate for the WHO Regional Director, Dr Susan Mercado.
“Interestingly, both Dr Narimah Awin and Dr Susan Mercado were colleagues during their stint at the WHO and both of them are highly experienced in their respective field. Among other issues discussed was the global health situation in general,” he added.
The WHO Regional Director for Western Pacific will be elected in November during the 69th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific in Manila. ― Bernama
