Foster healthy lifestyles: Nearly two million Malaysians benefit from 38 Wellness Hubs nationwide, says Dzulkefly

MELAKA, Nov 1 — Nearly two million people have benefited from 38 Wellness Hub facilities operating nationwide under the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) initiative to expand access to disease prevention and foster healthy lifestyles.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said two of these facilities are located in Melaka, namely in Alor Gajah and Melaka Tengah, serving as community wellness referral centres.

He said the initiative is part of the ministry’s drive to shift the national healthcare model from solely treating illnesses to preventive care, particularly in addressing the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

“These are not clinics or hospitals for the sick; they are one-stop centres for people who want to stay healthy. At Wellness Hubs, we offer weight management services (IFitEr), smoking cessation support, mental health screenings, the ‘Stay Active’ module, and exercise therapy,” he said.

He told a press conference after officiating the national-level Wellness Month (BMSS) 2026 celebration in Ayer Keroh here today.

Dzulkefly said the preventive approach adopted by Wellness Hubs has shown promising results, with 87 per cent, or 460 of the 528 participants in its weight management pilot programme, successfully losing weight.

“Another 438 participants, or 83 per cent, improved their physical fitness, while 111 achieved a normal body mass index (BMI). This proves that with guidance, people can change,” he said.

He stressed that strengthening preventive healthcare has become increasingly critical due to the rise in NCDs, which he described as a silent pandemic costing the national economy up to RM64.2 billion a year.

Of that amount, RM51.8 billion, or 80.69 per cent, stems from lost productivity, while RM12.4 billion covers treatment costs.

Although public health literacy has improved through the National Agenda for a Healthy Malaysia (ANMS), Dzulkefly noted that the primary challenge remains translating knowledge into daily behavioural change.

To address this, he said the ministry has adopted a behavioural ‘nudging’ approach by creating supportive environments and facilities that encourage healthier choices, involving stakeholders including community leaders, Members of Parliament, and state assemblymen.

“If we want to shift from sick care to healthcare, we cannot simply ask people to stay healthy without providing the necessary facilities or environment.

“This is crucial because the strength of a healthcare system is measured not only by its capacity to treat patients in hospitals, but also by its ability to help people stay healthy so they do not require treatment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dzulkefly said RM3.381 million had been spent on applications under the Malaysian Community Health Agent (MyCHAMPION) programme between 2025 and October this year to empower community participation in national health initiatives. — Bernama

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马六甲，11 月 1 日讯——卫生部 (MOH) 发起了一项旨在扩大疾病预防服务范围和促进健康生活方式的倡议，在全国范围内运营了 38 个健康中心，近 200 万人从中受益。

卫生部长拿督斯里祖基菲里阿末博士表示，其中两个设施位于马六甲，即亚罗牙也和马六甲登雅，作为社区健康转诊中心。

他表示，这项举措是该部推动国家医疗保健模式从单纯治疗疾病转向预防保健的一部分，尤其是在应对非传染性疾病（NCD）的增加方面。

他说：“这些不是诊所或医院，而是为想要保持健康的人们提供的一站式服务中心。在健康中心，我们提供体重管理服务（IFitEr）、戒烟支持、心理健康筛查、‘保持活力’模块和运动疗法。”

今天，他在亚依克罗为2026年全国健康月（BMSS）庆祝活动揭幕后，在新闻发布会上发表了上述讲话。

祖基菲里表示，健康中心采取的预防方法已显示出令人鼓舞的结果，在其体重管理试点项目中，528 名参与者中有 87%（即 460 人）成功减肥。

“另有438名参与者（占83%）的身体素质有所提高，111人达到了正常的体重指数（BMI）。这证明，在指导下，人们是可以改变的，”他说。

他强调，由于非传染性疾病的增加，加强预防性医疗保健变得越来越重要。他将非传染性疾病描述为一场无声的流行病，每年给国民经济造成高达 642 亿令吉的损失。

其中，518亿令吉（占80.69%）源于生产力损失，而124亿令吉用于支付治疗费用。

尽管通过《马来西亚健康国家议程》（ANMS）提高了公众的健康素养，但祖基菲里指出，主要挑战仍然是将知识转化为日常行为改变。

为了解决这个问题，他表示，该部采取了行为“引导”方法，通过创造支持性的环境和设施来鼓励更健康的选择，并让包括社区领袖、国会议员和州议员在内的利益相关者参与其中。

“如果我们想从疾病治疗转向医疗保健，就不能仅仅要求人们保持健康而不提供必要的设施或环境。

他说：“这一点至关重要，因为衡量一个医疗保健系统的实力，不仅要看它在医院治疗病人的能力，还要看它帮助人们保持健康，从而避免接受治疗的能力。”

与此同时，祖基菲里表示，从2025年到今年10月，马来西亚社区卫生代理人（MyCHAMPION）计划已投入338.1万令吉用于申请，旨在增强社区参与国家卫生计划的积极性。——马新社

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