3.6 million diabetics in Malaysia, half women

KOTA KINABALU: Health factors are crucial elements that must be given due attention by every individual and organisation.

Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Yahya Hussin said that the health elements must be looked after well to ensure other elements in the development of the human capital could function effectively and achieve their excellence.

He added that according to a statement from the Health Ministry, about 3.6 million Malaysians between 18 years old and above were now suffering from diabetes.

Out of the total, 1.78 million are women, he said.

He also said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had also issued a statement that the number of diabetics in the world today had risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014.

Similarly, more people are dying from strokes, he said.

“Stroke is the fourth main killer in Malaysia, and we saw a hike of about 300 percent within a year from 17,909 cases in 2005 and 52,000 cases in 2006.”

And with regard to heart diseases, Yahya said that six people suffered from the disease every hour, 144 people daily and 60,000 cases annually.

Malaysia also recorded 45,000 cases of cancer every year, out of which three to four patients die.