PETALING JAYA: The newly launched Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS) is a preparatory initiative to help the Malaysian Family live in the endemic phase of Covid-19, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

       ANMS, which runs for a length of 10 years from 2021 to 2030, is aimed at cultivating a healthy lifestyle and promoting environmental sustainability to support the health and well-being of the Malaysian Family.

       The agenda, a health wellness package which has been researched, planned and introduced by the government through the Health Ministry as the main driver, has the direct participation of the Housing and Local Government Ministry with the involvement of other ministries and agencies.

       “The ANMS agenda is for a period of 10 years, from 2021 to 2030, and the implementation is to be divided into two terms: the first from 2021 until 2025, and the second from 2026 that will end in 2030,” he said in his ANMS launch speech yesterday.

       Ismail Sabri said for the agenda to succeed, the government had adopted the Whole Of Nation approach, by facilitating close cooperation with all parties so that they move as strategic partners.

       The government is responsible for formulating ANMS’ direction, strategy and initiatives, while the private sector and non-governmental organisations are the driving force behind the strategy and initiatives introduced, he said.

       ANMS involves four main thrusts – strengthening and promoting a healthy lifestyle, improving health wellness services, enhancing self-health management and promoting a clean environment – that cover 10 strategies and 24 initiatives.

       “I have high hopes that through ANMS, the Malaysian Family will continue to practise the standard operating procedures that have been set, to embrace the new norms, to get vaccinated and to take care of their health by getting screened or remaining in quarantine if they have symptoms or come into contact with someone with Covid-19.

       “The Malaysian Family must have the culture of healthy living imbued in their lives by carrying out physical activities, eating healthy and looking after their mental health in order to strengthen immunity in fighting against diseases,” he added.

       According to Ismail Sabri, the agenda is also being emphasised in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), especially in terms of improving the delivery of healthcare services where the strategies, among others, are to improve health literacy and health awareness among the Malaysian Family.

       He said the government had also formulated a National Health Literacy Policy which will see the implementation of several initiatives, including the organisation of healthcare awareness programmes which will be intensified through various platforms, at all levels, through the utilisation of facilities under various agencies.

       “To ensure the health literacy of the Malaysian Family can be improved, Ejen Kesihatan Komuniti or the MyChampion capacity building programme will be strengthened, especially in education and health promotion efforts,” he said.

       With a high level of health literacy, Ismail Sabri hopes that the Malaysian Family will be better informed when it comes to issues like cultivating healthy lifestyles, adopting self-health controls to prevent diseases and maintaining good health to avoid complications.

       “For example, the Malaysian Family among the B40 (lower income) group will have access to health information, understand the importance of healthcare and undergo free health screening through the PekaB40 scheme.

       “This allows us to identify health risks earlier and make health interventions either at the Wellness Hub (Hub Sejahtera), health clinics or hospitals, according to their health status,” he said.

       He added that through the effort, the Malaysian Family will not only be able to cultivate a healthy life, allay the risk of disease and reduce the cost of treatment and rehabilitation, but also be able to live a better quality of life.

       Ismail Sabri further assured that with this noble aspiration, the government is committed to providing adequate allocations to ensure ANMS is successfully beneficial for the Malaysian Family.