The collaboration between all four parties is part of their continuous efforts to raise public awareness about non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country and push the digitisation of healthcare.
The current pandemic has heightened awareness on Covid-19’s impact on people with underlying medical illnesses or comorbidities such as coronary artery disease.
It has been found that more than 80 per cent of Covid-19 deaths have at least one underlying health condition
As one of the top three NCDs in the country, there is a need to raise awareness and educate Malaysians in managing heart health especially since more than 38 per cent of adults in Malaysia suffer from hypercholesterolemia or high cholesterol levels.
It has been found that 25 per cent of adult Malaysians are not even aware they have high cholesterol.
IJN CEO Datuk Dr Aizai Azan Abdul Rahim (pix) said: “IJN believes in a preventative and holistic approach to medicine, especially since there are strong links between heart health and overall well-being.
“As the country’s premiere heart centre, we have a responsibility to educate Malaysians on this issue and have been doing so via various educational and awareness-raising initiatives since our inception.
“Given the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Malaysia, we also greatly welcome this collaboration as well; we can only tackle this challenge with the support of other stakeholders in the medical sector.”
The key to mitigate the risks of unmanaged cholesterol levels is through early detection, raising awareness and a conscious effort to alleviate any unforeseen circumstances.
Enabling patients to obtain the right care and resources is part of AstraZeneca’s long-term commitment in supporting the set-up of a more robust healthcare ecosystem in Malaysia, while reducing the rise of NCDs such as coronary heart disease.
“At AstraZeneca, we remain committed towards playing a vital role in supporting Malaysia’s battle against NCDs by strengthening our healthcare ecosystem with solutions beyond the pill,” said Dr Sanjeev Panchal, Country President, AstraZeneca Malaysia. — The Health
