The National Environmental Health Action Plan (NEHAP) Malaysia, under Thematic Working Group 3 (TWG3) for Solid Waste, Hygiene, and Sanitation, primarily addresses the significant public health risks arising from inadequate and unhygienic waste practices. The main concerns include the vector-borne disease transmission associated with improper waste disposal, such as dengue fever, leptospirosis (rat urine disease), and spreading bacteria, as uncollected waste provides breeding and feeding sites for rodents, flies, and mosquitoes.
In addition, the long-term practice of using unsanitary landfills and open dumping causes environmental contamination, particularly the leaching of toxic chemical pollutants (like heavy metals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals) into groundwater and surface water, which poses risks for chronic diseases like cancer and neurological disorders in nearby communities.
TWG3 focuses on mitigating these health hazards through improved infrastructure, promoting a national cleanliness culture, and enhancing community involvement in proper waste segregation (Separation at Source) and the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) initiatives to reduce the overall waste volume impacting public health.