KUALA LUMPUR: After 18 years, the government has come up with the National Nutrition Policy 2.0 (DPKM 2.0) outlining new multiple aims and strategies to proactively combat the future rise in health diseases, malnutrition as well as obesity rates.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the government was resolute in its aim to increase and maintain the nutrition wellbeing of the people through the DPKM 2.0 themed "Nutrition Wellbeing A Shared Responsibility" (editor: Kesejahteraan Pemakanan Tanggungjawab Bersama) which was approved by the cabinet on June 2 this year.
The first DPKM was drawn up and approved by the cabinet in 2003 as a sign of the government's commitment and continuous efforts to ensure the people's wellbeing through nutrition.
The review of the DPKM was done so that it is in line with the health challenges such as the increase of disease burden, especially malnutrition and overnutrition, as well as non-communicable disease linked to nutrition such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.
"DPKM 2.0 has three aims which is to increase nutritional status, reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases linked to nutrition as well as to strengthen food and nutrition security.
"To achieve these aims, 13 strategies have been formed to ensure the nutrition wellbeing of Malaysians. All of these strategies are holistic and will be able to fulfil the aims of the DPKM 2.0," he said during the launch of DPKM 2.0 which was held virtually.
Among those present were Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba and Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
Among the strategies are to enable the people, families and society to be agents of change and to be responsible for their own nutrition wellbeing, boost food programmes and measures for babies, young children, teenagers and women in reproductive ages and to facilitate nutritional intervention to groups such as the Orang Asli, urban poor, undocumented children, people with different disabilities as well as senior citizens with special needs.
Muhyiddin said the Health Ministry would also review the National Plan of Action for Nutrition of Malaysia 2016 to 2025 to support DPKM 2.0's strategies, apart from having the country's main nutritional issues such as nutrition and food securities integrated into the National Agrofood Policy 2.0.
"The ministry also heads the Food Safety and Nutrition Cluster under the National Food Security Policy Cabinet Committee chaired by me. In this regard, issues related to nutrition and food security, especially during disasters, are given serious attention by the government, among others.
"With the review of the policy, it is the government's wish to have a healthy generation through nutrition wellbeing from a young age. To tackle malnutrition among children and teenagers, a joint committee involving various related stakeholder agencies will be set up soon," he said.
Muhyiddin added that while it was no doubt that a healthy diet is the key to good health, the rapid socio-economic development in the country, including the change of lifestyle and nutritional practices has affected nutrition wellbeing and the pattern of diseases of the society.
This has led to the country facing the problem of double burden of malnutrition with the rise of obesity in all age groups and malnutrition especially in children aged five and below which warranted serious attention.
"Apart from the burden of non-communicable diseases caused by nutrition such as diabetes and high blood pressure, the Department of Statistics has also estimated that in 2030, Malaysia will achieve the status of aging country where the population aged 60 and above is 15.3 per cent.
"With the rise of these worrying figures and the prediction of increased burden of disease, the prevention and control of the double burden of malnutrition is a major challenge to the nation's healthcare.
"The efforts to fight and end all forms of malnutrition problems need a sustainable nutrition policy that involves all sectors from government, private, industry as well as Malaysians. The policy needs to be implemented in line with the concept of the whole of government and the whole of society," he added.