Priority List of Environmental Health Issues In Malaysia

Under the Thematic Working Group (TWG) 10 – Environmental Health Expert, NEHAP Malaysia, lead by Prof. Dr. Jamal Hisham bin Hashim, a Priority List of Environmental Health Issues in Malaysia has been generated.

Two (2) groups of experts was invited and involved in the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) session to rank the 14 environmental health (EH) issues that has been identified by the members of TWG 10. The 1^stFGD was held on 9 August 2018 and the 2^nd FGD was on 22 April 2019.

During the 1st FGD, two (2) additional environmental issues was suggested to be included in the priority list. As the result, the expertise has ranked 16 environmental health issues accordingly to the severity and magnitude scoring for each EH issues.

The list can be used as a reference for the academicians and research agencies prior decision making on selecting their research or study area or field.

The TOP 10 of the Priority List of Environmental Health Issues are:

1

Children environmental health (birth cohort study, impact of indoor environment). Formulate intervention strategies on how to manage, e.g. schools/homes etc

2

Vector borne diseases (e.g. dengue and Aedes breeding in junk yards/abandoned places/no man’s land; reemergence of malaria)

3

Contamination of drinking water sources and Emerging water pollutants [e.g. endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pharmaceutical drugs (anti-septics, antimicrobials)]

4

Urban health issues (housing and sanitation, poor drainage, air pollution, migrants, urban poor, crime and security, related diseases)

5

Climate change adaptation strategies and neglected health issues

6

Food safety and contamination issues (e.g. recycled cooking oil, untrained food handlers especially foreigners, incomplete food labelling on food allergens, non-compliance to food standards)

7

Human exposure to environmental chemicals (e.g. e-waste, industries and lead in paint/consumer products)

8

Zoonotic diseases (use ecosystem approach on malaria (Plasmodium knowlesi), rabies, leptospirosis, meliodosis)

9

Exposure to ionizing and non-ionizing radiation

10

More rigorous efforts to identify sources and means to reduce PM2.5 and ozone levels in Malaysia to assess the disease burden related to PM2.5 and ozone

Acknowledgements:

NEHAP Malaysia and TWG 10 would like to thank you to all FDG members.

3 Environmental physicians
2 Occupational physicians
1 Family health physician
1 Paediatrician
3 Environmental health officers
4 Public/environmental health engineers
1 Environmental engineer
2 Environmental managers
1 Vector control specialist
1 Air quality specialist
1 Disaster scientist

READ RELATED NEWS

(Click picture to access news)