This policy could dramatically increase health security risk and vulnerabilities.

He will need to make tough decisions to ensure that the quality and coverage of healthcare is accessible to all who need it.

Health is a vital component of the economy.

The Ministry of Health warned that these products constituted a ‘public health threat’

MOH has described the e-cigarettes and vape as a “public health threat”.

Such anti-LGBTIQ rhetoric has real world consequences on people and communities.

A more sustainable solution such as National Health Insurance should be proposed and supported.

Vape and e-cigarettes constitute clear and present public health threats.

Seen as rewarding the company regardless of its performance or the risk it represents.

This decision undermines and removes a cornerstone of anti-tobacco policy.

Already, the nicotine content for vape products available in this country is among the highest in the world.

The need for a PSSC on Health goes beyond providing oversight to and evaluation of the government’s management of existing health concerns

The Malaysian healthcare system and the health of people in this country are currently in crisis. Urgent action is needed.

Reforms include removing dependence on middlemen within the procurement process, which increase the cost of medicines.

Sobering that allocation for 2023 operational expenditure alone now exceeds the total health allocation for 2020.

Reform of health financing is urgently needed but will need time, political support and public trust.

In some hospitals today, people are waiting between 24 hours and several days for a bed.

The Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill needs to be urgently tabled and passed in Parliament.

Denying or providing selective access is bad medicine and poor practice.

Malaysia’s healthcare system needs immediate attention.

This agency is not a ‘nice-to-have’ but a ‘must-have’.

Creates unnecessary suffering, pain or humiliation for the woman and her child.

She is the first woman to hold the post.

1 December is World AIDS Day

Many believe that health should not be politicised. That should change.

Healthcare has rarely, if ever, been the focus of political debate in any Malaysian political campaign.

We need to invest in future-proofing and increasing the resilience and sustainability of the public healthcare system.

Government needs to make tough decisions and boost efforts to build and future-proof the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

If it fails to be passed this time around, it might be another decade before we see the kind of leadership and vision demonstrated in this attempt.

The proposed GEG measures should not criminalise possession or usage.

Implementing the generational endgame will lock the gate against new smokers and vapers.

Social and reproductive health education is fundamental.

Unintended pregnancies are often the consequences of women having no right or say on their own bodies.

Closing the gap on cancer care is not solely the responsibility and burden of the Government.

Were the disabled community consulted prior to the inclusion of their personal mobility devices or aids in this ban?

We spotlight bold new commitments to deliver on the promise to tackle unintended pregnancies and improve health outcomes in Malaysia.

With Malaysia facing a crisis of non-communicable diseases, there is also an increasingly large burden of need for more viable organs.

The Federal Constitution describes very clearly the circumstances in which a person may be deprived of the right to vote.

If there is no medical benefit, no religous basis, or any benefit whatsoever to performing female circumcision, then why do it?

A successful response to the COVID-19 public health crisis must protect the health and human rights of all people.

Big tobacco is transitioning their business from cigarettes to vape, e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn devices.

Gaining the trust and public support for the amendments to Act 342 are of paramount importance.

The use of real-world data (RWD) has gained significant attention and importance due to the development of COVID-19 vaccines.

More than ever before we need to protect the public healthcare system.

Before COVID-19, Malaysia was already in the firm grip of another health crisis.

With the right IP environment, the potential and opportunities for Malaysia, especially in the life sciences are huge.

Unless the government reviews the health section of the 12MP, this could be a lost opportunity to rebuild, reform and transform our health system.

Parents, educators, and policymakers should support the effective implementation of comprehensive sexual education in Malaysian schools.

It is going to take courageous and decisive leadership and sustained commitment to deal with both COVID-19 and non-COVID issues.

It is time that the Malaysian Parliament also implements reforms which will bring it to the level of other democratic institutions worldwide.

Celebrating Hari Raya Aidiladha is not more important than keeping yourself and your family safe from COVID-19 infection.

It is necessary that organisations and individuals are bound and held accountable to codes of conduct or child protection policies.

We should be unafraid to hold authorities to the highest standards and integrity.

It will threaten the Government’s hard work to urgently vaccinate the population and achieve herd immunity

Every delayed vaccination will cost lives.

We will not be able to reach the objective of herd immunity, if we are selective in who we vaccinate.

Rather than defend the practice, the National Security Council should make it clear that it is not acceptable.

We should treat the individuals and communities affected by COVID-19 how we would wish ourselves to be treated, with empathy and compassion.

We are amidst an unprecendented epidemic, a public health emergency. We should not treat this as business as usual.

Fire-fighting constant misinformation and doubt distracts from the work that lies ahead.

Both of these Policies are important in ensuring that the Galen Centre’s work while guided by the framework of human rights, also responds to and addresses key issues and concerns which challenge the work of similar organisations around the world.

We begin 2021, with 3 vaccines poised for rollout throughout the year to benefit and protect at least 40 percent of the population.

Vaccine hesitancy will result in people being unprotected and left behind.

Proving that the vaccine works to regulators, along with short-term safety data, is the first hurdle.

This is a marathon and this is only at the first leg of the race.

The RM 3 billion allocation announced for the COVID-19 vaccine cannot be found in the Budget 2021

Most transgender persons do not consult or seek guidance from medical professionals due to the fear of stigma and discrimination.

Arguably, a CMCO at this point of time, could even increase people’s vulnerability to infection as they become more desperate, take more risks and are less able to afford to take precautions.

With shrinking national budgets, increasing deficits, demands for welfare assistance, and economies which are struggling to recover from month long lock-downs and harsh restrictive measures, investing in the unknown is a difficult decision to make.

The best chance of success for any country is to participate in an endeavour which diversifies and broadens access to a broad portfolio of possible vaccine candidates.

A select committee is much needed to provide rigorous oversight to the actions, policies, and governance of the Ministry of Health, particularly since it is the budget holder, regulator and healthcare provider.

Proposals should not come from an angry or frustrated place, and must be evidence-based.

Developing the capacity to rapidly fill vaccine vials and finish packaging vaccines for manufacturers in a public health emergency, is an issue of national security.

Urgent reforms are needed in the area of fire safety.

Member of Parliament for Parit, Mohd Nizar Zakaria has a serious job and big shoes to fill.

The united declaration calls for a range of measures to safeguard supplies of essential medical goods and support innovation for future Covid-19 treatments and cures.

The pandemic has exposed rural communities living on the edge, where persistent inequality acts as a multiplier to social and economic disruption.

Let us be kind to each other.

In the long-term, the burden on primary care will grow. The quality and specialization of a health workforce for the future starts from policies made now.

Lack of accurate knowledge on mental health and strong cultural beliefs leads to the belief that mental health conditions have supernatural causes.

New health challenges such as COVID-19 are inevitable. Our resilience and preparedness to effectively respond depend on sound policies and investments made today.

Those of us who stammer find speaking a challenge and everyday social scenarios difficult to control. This affects our mental state.

With non-communicable diseases increasing significantly each year and cases of people with chronic kidney disease having more than one or more comorbidities such as diabetes, this is an ongoing funding problem that will not go away simply by excluding a group of people.

Travel bans delay the spread of the virus, but are unable to actually prevent infections.

Perhaps with disruption and competition from social health insurance which caps payouts to private healthcare providers at more reasonable and transparent levels, can the escalating healthcare costs be finally brought under control.

More than a third of the population in Sarawak and Sabah continue to live beyond 5km of any kind of health facility and have to travel for hours to seek treatment.

Decision will motivate and help support doctors and dentists, particularly those just starting their own private practice, to provide better value, professionalism and higher quality of care.

It is wrong to imply that our healthcare system is too fragile and cannot survive without depending on one single company such as Pharmaniaga taking such a dominating role.

Ensuring that no one is left behind.

Health prevention should involve a multi-ministerial approach.

“Stigma and discrimination continues to be a stumbling block in Malaysia’s response to the disease.” – Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach or quick fix to achieving an optimal balance between paying the costs of providing high quality healthcare and ensuring equitable, accessible and affordable treatment for all.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach or quick fix.

We need to better understand the origins of poor mental health in Malaysia which will include social, economic, workplace, and environmental stressors; and social determinants to health such as poor health literacy and poverty.

The overall grade given of C+ reflects a work in progress.

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.

“In Malaysia, this has resulted in such surveys capturing approximately 75 percent of men’s economic activities but no more than 30 percent of women’s activities on an international level. This is not reflective of the total labour women do and risk overlooking their impact and contributions to society.”

“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.”

The primary reasons for female circumcision were cited as it being a religious obligation, personal hygiene, cultural practice and to control the girl’s sexual desire.

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.

The science and evidence are clear. Vaccines prevent disease. Vaccination saves lives.

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.

This policy brief highlights patient-centric opportunities to improve the response to mental health issues.

Transgender people and other marginalised communities should not have to fear accessing healthcare and should be able to feel confident and safe while doing so.

Whether you are Muslim or non-Muslim, you should know your own status. This should be the gold standard.

It is unfortunate that there was no announcement of the development of a long-term solution to healthcare financing such as a social health insurance scheme for all.

Higher salaries and wages are better catalysts in ensuring improved household savings and financial resilience, hence enabling sufficient contributions for retirement.

Comprehensive sex education is long overdue.

Public caning has long-term, devastating consequences to a person’s mental health and self-esteem.

How allied health professionals are looking to strengthen their role in public health

Only one in 10 Malaysians who carry the Hepatitis C virus has been diagnosed and know their status.

By 2030, it is estimated that 15 percent of the Malaysian population will be classified as senior citizens above the age of 60.

Crediting RM100 into a woman’s bank account directly each month is an act of encouraging autonomy and empowerment amongst B40 women.

What needs to urgently improve is the availability, affordability and accessibility of new and improved treatments for diseases such as cancer and rare diseases.

The taskforce in their future deliberations, should consider establishing the office of health procurement ombudsman.

Setting expectations.

We hope that the Ministry of Health in future measures will also share its plans to address the East Malaysia healthcare gap where there is an urgent need to bridge this urban-rural divide.

Women very likely determined the historic outcome which broke Barisan Nasional’s 60 year hold on the government.

We wish him the best of luck!

What will your vote bring?

The issue extends beyond just increasing the national budget allocation for healthcare.

Make up your own mind on who has pledged better for health

Supporting healthcare innovation helps ensure that there is motivation and incentive into the treatment of less common ailments such as rare diseases. People with these diseases should not be left behind.

Let’s not leave the aged population behind.

Investing in digital solutions could dramatically improve productivity and efficiency, with benefits in both patient outcomes and cost.

Malaysia has one of the highest gender step gap out of 46 countries observed, ranking third place in high activity inequality between genders (just below Saudi Arabia and Qatar).

With the right public health approach to palliative care, we can improve the quality of life those who are living longer with chronic non-communicable diseases.

Malaysian progress and achievements in encouraging, cultivating and boosting home-grown innovation are also at risk.

We need to discuss how we can move forward, address concerns related to intellectual property protections, and support the government’s agenda of ongoing national healthcare reform.

The anti-vaccine movement is causing harm.

When responding to the children and young people who suffer from inhalant addiction and dependency, let us first do no harm.

“Taking away this convenience and the ease of doing such small scale businesses, deprives a person from a lower income household to improve their financial situation and contribute towards economic stability.”

Now, more than ever, compassion, not hate and discrimination, is absolutely necessary in dealing with the many challenges we face as a society.

“By not considering potential variables that contribute to transgressions or non-compliance, it punishes an already vulnerable community for something that may not have been avoidable, of their fault or ability to control. It is a recipe to drive people to the brink.”

There is cause for concern as an insufficient allocation could result in shortages of essential drugs.

A national health insurance scheme could be a game changer to catapult the entirety of Malaysian healthcare into the 21st century, rather than piecemeal, as it is today.

What does success look like?

Going with a government use licence could represent a pyrrhic approach to a long-term problem with possible consequences and complications.

This is a game changer in the fight against Hepatitis C in Malaysia.

Even diseases have to compete for attention.

With charges between RM1 and RM5 for outpatient and specialist care respectively, Malaysians are able to access high quality treatment and care at government clinics and hospitals.

We will form partnerships with health and social organisations to help transform and bridge the gaps between concept, policy and reality,

“There have been instances in Malaysia where men have refused antenatal treatment for their wives after finding out the gynaecologist or obstetrician is a man on the basis of religion.”