KOTA BHARU, May 30 — 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, now at 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.
Also present was State Health director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin.
Dr Dzulkefly said 51.6 per cent of the people in Kelantan (national average is 54.4 per cent) are categorised as overweight or obese, while 27.9 per cent (national average is 9.2 per cent) has high blood pressure.
He described the findings on Kelantan in the NHMS 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.
— Bernama
