KUALA LUMPUR: Parents Against Vape and Cigarette Kuala Lumpur (PAVAC) is stepping up efforts to support the National Lung Health Initiative (NLHI) by raising awareness and promoting respiratory health education among Malaysians.
PAVAC founder Rashdan Rashid said the initiative focuses on two key groups - students and parents, through advocacy and educational programmes conducted in schools, higher learning institutions, and local communities.
“These programmes adopt a sustainable and preventive approach, incorporating healthy lifestyle education alongside arts, sports, and environmental activities to make the message more engaging for young people.
“We want the public to understand the importance of lung health, as respiratory illnesses are now affecting not just the elderly but also children as young as those in primary school,” he said on Bernama Radio’s Jendela Fikir programme today.
Rashdan said PAVAC also provides a platform for parents to participate as community volunteers, supported by experts from Universiti Malaya and Universiti Putra Malaysia. This is in line with the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013–2025, which emphasises holistic child development.
Rashdan explained that the NLHI, introduced by the Ministry of Health (MOH), aims to empower Malaysians through prevention, education, and early detection of respiratory diseases.
“Established last year under the Malaysian Drug Prevention Association (Pemadam), PAVAC not only focuses on drug prevention education but also helps promote NLHI’s objectives.
“What sets NLHI apart is its comprehensive strategy. It goes beyond awareness by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI), active community participation, and strong public policy support,” he said.
A major upcoming event under NLHI is the National Tobacco Control Conference 2025, to be held from May 30 to June 1 at Universiti Cyberjaya in conjunction with World No Tobacco Day on May 31.
“Highlights of the three-day conference include the launch of the official NLHI mascot and NLHI Community Health Fund, the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with strategic partners, and the Green Lung NLHI campaign, which aims to plant one million trees,” he added.
Rashdan added that the NLHI will be featured at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) currently taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 19 for nine days.
At the assembly’s opening session, three Malaysian representatives received the World No Tobacco Day 2025 Award from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the Western Pacific Region. The recipients were Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, MOH deputy director of Disease Control Dr Noraryana Hassan, and president of the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control, Associate Professor Dr Murallitharan Munisamy.
“These awards recognise their key role in developing and implementing the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), which strengthens regulations on tobacco and vape products in Malaysia,” he said.
Rashdan, who also heads the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tasek Permai in Ampang, proposed that the MOH’s Non-Communicable Disease Control Division work with parents nationwide through Pemadam to further promote NLHI.
“This collaboration will help streamline public communication efforts and encourage nationwide support for the initiative,” he said.
