MALAYSIA’s combination of high temperatures and humidity places an added vulnerability towards heat-related illnesses and warmer temperatures can worsen other health issues for Malaysians, according to Khazanah Research Institute’s latest working paper Navigating Public Health in a Hotter Malaysia, which brings to light some of the public health challenges Malaysia could face as global temperatures increase.
Increased risks of heat-related illnesses
Heat is a critical and growing threat to human health. As global temperatures rise, instances of heat stress can become increasingly common.
The risks of heat stress can further worsen during instances of high heat and high humidity, which can then lead to the development of heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion and heat cramps.
Thus, Malaysia’s high humidity level (ranging between 65% to 95% relative humidity) and rising temperatures poses an increasing risk of these heat-related illnesses among Malaysians.
During the past 2015–2016 El Nino cycle, Malaysia reported 200 cases of heat-related illnesses, of which there were two fatalities. Meanwhile, the recent 2023–2024 El Nino occurrence proved to be more deadly, with five fatalities out of the 127 reported cases of heat-related illnesses.
Such incidences are expected to rise as Malaysia is projected to have higher mean and maximum temperatures as well as an increased frequency of days exceeding 35.
Warmer temperatures exacerbate other health issues
Rising temperatures are not only a concern for heat-related illnesses but they can also worsen a myriad of other health conditions. Particularly, higher temperatures have been shown to adversely impact cardiometabolic, respiratory conditions and other
non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Thus as temperatures are projected to rise, the strain NCDs have on healthcare resources is also likely to increase unless proper climate-health policies are in place.
Another public health concern that is brought on by rising temperatures is the rise in vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya. Various literature exploring the relationship between dengue and temperature has found that rising minimum temperatures can lead to an increase in dengue cases – posing higher risks of dengue infections in Malaysia.
Vulnerability of heat-induced health issues not equal
Children, particularly those under the age of five, are more vulnerable to heat stress. During the 2023–2024 El Nino event, six children aged 12 and below were reported to have heat-related illnesses. Out of these six cases, three resulted in fatalities. All three of these mortalities recorded were among children under the age of five. This underscores the added vulnerability children face in managing heat stress compared with adult.
While all Malaysians will experience warmer temperatures because of climate change, the degree to which they are vulnerable to
heat-related health issues can vary depending on their sensitivity and adaptive capacity.
Local temperature variations, age-related vulnerabilities among children and the elderly, and employment in particular industries can increase the risk of heat-related illnesses or other heat-exacerbated medical disorders.
Growing need to adapt to rising temperatures
The findings from this paper highlights Malaysia’s public health risks induced by warmer temperatures. To overcome these risks, this paper brings forward four policy recommendations:
• Developing a heat-health action plan as it is imperative to manage heat-related impacts, particularly on health.
• Enhancing the monitoring of heat-related illnesses, hospital admissions and mortality rates as it is essential to understand the full impact of extreme heat events.
• Developing heat-sensitive public infrastructure and facilities in Malaysia is crucial to enhancing resilience against extreme heat.
• Adapting decent work practices to the rising temperatures is needed to protect worker safety and maintain productivity in a warming climate.
