It is Important to Maintain Good
Health
There are over a
billion people who don’t have access to health care so it is hard to ponder
about global health issues that we are faced with at present without
thinking back to this fact.
Here in Malaysia,
there are great health care systems in place but there seems to be a lack of
awareness about general health and diseases that can kill us, which could be
treated if detected early. Malaysians should therefore take greater advantage
of these health care facilities that are available to them to maintain good
health and look after themselves.
Among the health
issues face by most people in this country:
Cervical
cancer
As many
Malaysian women don’t have regular Pap smear test done, which should be part of
their routine health checks, this topic was reported a lot in the media as many
women suffer from cervical cancer which could have been detected earlier with
the routine test.
Diabetes
This
disease which doesn’t have cure is when the body doesn’t make or use insulin
properly. It is estimated that there are 180 million people around the World
who suffer from diabetes and the World Health Organisation (WHO) claims that it
will almost double by 2030 without intervention.
There are
more than 1.2 million Malaysians with diabetes with roughly 24,000 people with
type 1 insulin dependent and 90 percent of the 1.2 million with type 2.
With the
numbers of people who are obese increasing, it is clear that the numbers of
those at risk of diabetes and those who are suffering from it, is also
increasing. Being obese or overweight is a key factor to the raising numbers of
people with diabetes.
Osteoporosis
Also
known as the silent disease, osteoporosis affects many women. Asian women are
the most vulnerable to this disease and that statistically only 25 percent will
regain full control of the physical functions.
Over one
million people in this country are at risk and it has also been predicted that
over 50 per cent of osteoporotic fractures will occur in Asia by the year 2050.
Obesity
Obesity
is a growing problem across the globe with 1.2 billion people classified as
overweight and 250 million obese. Obesity in Malaysia was once relatively rare,
but it is increasing significantly (especially among children) mainly due to people
having an inactive lifestyle and excessive calorie intake.
The surge
of obesity amongst children around the world, in short, foretells a global
explosion of illnesses that will drain economies, produce enormous suffering
and cause millions of premature deaths.
Dental
Health
Dental
health in Malaysia is a big worry as many Malaysians don’t appear to be aware
of the importance in looking after their teeth and gums and this cavalier
attitude means that they are risking complications such as gingivitis, cavities
and gum disease.
On top of
that, the Malaysian Ministry of Health announced that NINE out of ten
Malaysians suffer from tooth decay and gum disease which is astounding, and it
has been put down to ignorance by the Malaysia Oral Health Status Survey.
Early
checkups and regular visits to the dentist can prevent gum disease and bad
dental hygiene. So make sure to you brush your teeth two times a day, floss and
use mouth wash on a daily basis.
