“Conversion therapy has been documented and proven to produce long-term psychological trauma, worsen participants’ mental health, well-being and self-esteem, and reinforces social alienation."
The government must strengthen and update its current regulatory and enforcement framework in order to improve surveillance, consumer safety and protection.
Fighting non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and obesity is a long game and requires vision, committed investments and political will to ensure that we are able to reap the results of a healthier people and nation.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzukefly Ahmad has repeatedly emphasised his vision of value-for-money treatment and commitment to reforms which ensure better transparency, efficiency, and cost effectiveness in health.
"There are several problems with MySalam's existing framework as we know it, but what is of particular concern, is the exclusion of pre-existing conditions."
In order to secure the best possible outcome in responding to the threat of NCDs, the Ministry of Health should get the funds it needs to fully operationalise PeKa B40 as part of the National Strategic Plan For Non-Communicable Disease 2016-2025.
There are a number of concerns raised related to mySalam which needs to be addressed to provide assurance to those signing up for the insurance scheme.
Most SOPs, emphasize on using physical, even brutal or harsh measures, of handling mentally ill people, such as the usage of straitjackets by the police.
Despite the fact that increasing consumption of healthy food is the most effective approach to addressing malnutrition, such options are becoming increasingly unaffordable and out of reach of lower income households.