KOTA BHARU: Cases of diabetes and high cholesterol levels among the people in Kelantan recorded an increase exceeding the national average indicator, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said that based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023, 16.3 per cent of the people in Kelantan suffered from diabetes, an increase of 0.7 per cent compared to the national average indicator of 15.6 per cent.
“High cholesterol levels also showed an increase among the people in Kelantan, recording 34.9 per cent. The national average indicator is 33.3 per cent,“ he said when opening the Kelantan Wellness Hub Open Day in Pengkalan Chepa, here today, which was also attended by State Health director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin.
He said 51.6 per cent of the people in Kelantan (national average is 54.4 per cent) are categorised as overweight or obese, while for high blood pressure, it was 27.9 per cent (national average is 9.2 per cent).
He described the findings on Kelantan in the BNHMS 2023 as worrying, although the state recorded better performance in several indicators compared to the national level.
“To address this, the ministry has introduced and implemented the ‘Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat’ (ANMS) as a platform to mobilise the culture of a healthy lifestyle,“ he said.
