Delivering a message during the 150th Session of The World Health Organisation’s Executive Board Meeting, Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin says Malaysia would like to highlight the negative impact of tobacco on NCDs.
“We, like some other WPRO countries, hope to pass legislation this year which will bring about a generation end game to smoking.
“The sale of tobacco and other smoking products will be made illegal to anyone born after 2005. Malaysia feels this will have a significant impact in preventing and controlling NCDs,” he says in the speech delivered in Geneva on January 26. 2022.
This confirms earlier reports that cigarettes and other related products would be banned in Malaysia for those born after 2005.
Earlier this month, there were several media reports saying the government plans to completely ban smoking for future generations.
Khairy was also said to have shared his plans for a smoke-free future during his 2022 New Year message to the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Thursday, 13 January.
He says Malaysia would support the report on the political declaration on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. He says NCDs contribute to the biggest burden of disease globally.
“Malaysia welcomes the Implementation Road Map as this will provide important guidance on our respective programmes in achieving NCD-related goals. Malaysia will most certainly align our National Strategic Plans for NCDs and our upcoming White Paper on the Future of Healthcare with WHO’s Implementation Road Map,” he says.
Malaysia recently launched a National Health Agenda (Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat). This goes beyond the usual health promotional programme.
The country wants it to result in a ‘Health in All Policies’ approach where each stakeholder puts health front and centre.
Intervention Remarks by @Khairykj Minister of Health at The 150th Session of The World Health Organisation’s Executive Board Meeting
