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THE Ministry of Health is calling on the public to take early health screenings seriously, warning that delayed detection of illnesses can lead to chronic conditions and costly treatments.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said early screening not only enables timely treatment but also spares families from the often overwhelming financial toll of late-stage illnesses, particularly cancer.
"Most patients are shocked when they are diagnosed with stage three or four cancer, which greatly reduces their chances of recovery," he said at the launch of the Bald and Beautiful Day 2025 campaign today.
"Imagine a family member diagnosed with a chronic disease — the entire household is impacted, not just emotionally but financially as well, because treatment costs for such conditions are significant," he added.
Among the most common cancers detected through screening in Malaysia are breast, colorectal, lung and prostate cancers, he said.
Dr Dzulkefly also highlighted ongoing collaboration between the Health Ministry, the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM), and various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to expand access to large-scale screening initiatives.
One such initiative is the National Health Screening Initiative (NHSI), which targets over one million Malaysians for early detection testing at hospitals and clinics nationwide.
“We will be rolling out more aggressive public awareness campaigns to help people realise that chronic diseases, including cancer, can be treated if caught early,” he said.
"I must emphasise that screenings are absolutely essential. The NHSI is one of our flagship programmes under the National Agenda for a Healthy Malaysia (ANMS)," he noted.
Earlier, the Bald and Beautiful Day 2025 event at Elmina Lakeside Mall’s sales gallery brought together cancer-related NGOs and foundations in a joint fundraising effort.
As part of the event, Dr Dzulkefly was among 267 individuals — from a total of 4,000 participants — who voluntarily shaved their heads in a symbolic show of solidarity with cancer patients. - September 29, 2025