Asthma Malaysia has recently organized the World Asthma Day Conference 2022 on 19 May 2022 and was officiated by the Minister of Health, YB Khairy Jamaluddin. This event is commemorating the celebration of this year’s World Asthma Day in collaboration with the Malaysian Thoracic Society (MTS), Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists’ Association (FMSA), Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) and AstraZeneca Malaysia.
The conference main focus was to discussed the challenges and solutions in addressing the gaps in asthma care in Malaysia in line with the World Asthma Day theme this year: Closing Gaps in Asthma Care. In Malaysia, asthma affects almost two million children and adults with respiratory diseases being the second most common cause of death within the Ministry of Health hospitals.
The lack of recognition of asthma as an area of focus in the national healthcare agenda, in particular has been cited as one of the major barriers in enabling earlier and equitable access to both diagnosis and evidence-guided treatment among the asthma patients in the country.
During this conference, healthcare experts, patient representatives and industry partners have come together to explore the potential of making asthma as a key non-communicable disease (NCD) priority area in Malaysia. Witnessed by YB Khairy, the conference ended with the pledge signing by multi-stakeholders to express their joint commitment in improving asthma care in Malaysia. YB Khairy has also officiated the relaunch of Asthma Malaysia website which serves as a one-stop information hub for the public on asthma.
Earlier, a series of thought-provoking talks and dialogue led by medical experts and patient representative were held, all of which led to the conclusion that greater intervention towards asthma are required in Malaysia in order to curb preventable suffering and financial burden in patients resulted from their uncontrolled asthma.