Healthy You, Healthy Society: Why healthcare is vital for a stable, healthy, and happy society.

When life gets busy, health often tends to take a backseat. We skip workouts for that extra 30 minutes in bed to make up for all the late nights at work. We head to a mamak for some greasy and carb-laden comfort food to reward ourselves after a challenging meeting. We have no time to prepare a home-cooked dinner and opt for drive-through at a fast food restaurant. We say we’ll exercise when the weekend comes. We’ll prepare a week’s worth of healthy food to take with us to work. We’ll finally make an appointment for that long overdue health check-up. And then the weekend rolls around and we’re just too tired, and there’s that wedding to attend, and a new stylish café with insta-worthy desserts we just have to check out… We’ll start being healthier next week. Or so we say.

According to the National Library of Medicine, Malaysia is the most obese country in South East Asia?. This finding is supported by the most recent results of the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019?. Conducted every four years by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, this survey revealed some harsh truths about the current health status of our population:

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• 1 in 2 Malaysian adults are obese.
• 1 in 5 adults have diabetes.
• 3 in 10 adults have hypertension, only half of whom are aware that they are hypertensive.
• 4 in 10 adults have high cholesterol.
• 1 in 4 adults are not physically active.
• 95% of Malaysians do not consume the daily recommended amount of fruit and vegetables.
• 3 in 4 women over 40 have not had a mammogram.
• 1 in 5 adults say their health is not good.

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An unhealthy population equates to high healthcare spending. The Malaysia National Health Accounts (MNHA)? report revealed that Malaysia spent RM78.22 billion on healthcare in 2021, equivalent to 5.1% of the country’s GDP. Out of RM78.22 billion, 57.9% of healthcare expenses were paid for by public funding, including the Ministry of Health, government agencies, and the Ministry of Higher Education. The balance 42.1% was paid for privately, either via out of pocket payments, insurance and takaful, personal borrowings, or other means. Revealingly, 74.7% of private healthcare payments were out of pocket expenses compared to 16.8% which was paid by insurance and takaful.

Malaysians need to equip themselves with sufficient healthcare protection. With personal healthcare spending expected to double by 2028?, how will this inevitably impact the wellbeing of our nation?

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Health and its impact on society

Most of us understand why health is important to us on a personal level – good health means a better quality of life, it prevents diseases, helps us live longer, boosts our self-esteem, and so on. Simply put, it’s hard to lead a good life without good health.

But health also has a greater impact on society and our economy:

• Healthy people are able to participate in and contribute to society more.
• Healthy children are less likely to be frequently absent from school, thus benefitting more when it comes to education.
• Healthy people are more productive. 20% of NHMS 2019 survey respondents were sick in the past two weeks – now imagine how much time taken off from work that equates to.
• More people being able to work means more economic prosperity.
• Healthy communities are also happier, and happy communities tend to be safer, more inclusive, foster a stronger sense of belonging, and will always find ways to support one another’s wellbeing.
• A healthy society will spend less on healthcare, freeing up funds to go towards other important projects for the community.
• A healthy society is a sustainable society.

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Good health positively impacts society personally, socially and economically, so what can we do to ensure Malaysia becomes a healthier nation?

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Supporting healthier societies with financial security

Building a healthy society starts with the individual. While government healthcare facilities and private hospitals have an important role to play, it is still up to us as individuals to lead healthier lifestyles. According to Prudential’s Fulfilling Futures report, only 51% of Malaysians are confident they will be healthy enough to live past the age of 80, meaning many expect they will need healthcare support at some point in their adult lives. However, it is important to remember that while many things contribute to one’s health – lifestyle, diet, genes, habits, fitness levels, and so on – financial security is also equally important as it ensures we can afford to seek healthcare and medical attention when we need it.

Our public hospitals play a vital role in providing healthcare services to Malaysians, but the sheer number of people needing medical attention often means these facilities do not have the budget or capacity to attend to everyone immediately. Government hospitals also have limited access to the latest equipment, treatments and medicine, causing many to turn towards private healthcare, even though it is significantly more expensive.

With 74.7% of private healthcare paid out of pocket, Malaysians are either dipping into their savings, selling their property, or maybe even taking out a loan to pay for medical bills. Unless they are very wealthy, this will have an impact on their finances and may even cause some to forego treatment altogether. Both instances can lead to further health deterioration, and, eventually, higher healthcare spending, whether through public funds or otherwise.

On the other hand, only 16.8% use insurance and takaful to pay for private healthcare, indicating a lack of awareness and low financial literacy. Small, monthly insurance and takaful payments can play a big role in ensuring financial security while providing access to better healthcare. Additionally, having insurance and takaful means we can avoid burdening the public healthcare system, leaving it to support those who truly need it.

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The road to recovery can be difficult – protect your finances no matter how unpredictable the medical costs

You’ll never know when you’ll be faced with a critical illness, and it’s important to start preparing yourself as soon as you possibly can. PruBSN’s critical illness takaful plans are designed to provide you with the financial support you need from the moment you are diagnosed with a critical disease, be it cancer, stroke, or a heart attack. With flexible options to suit your various needs, our plans ensure you’ll have enough to cover your treatment costs so you can focus on what truly matters – getting better.

And if you would really like make sure all your protection bases are covered, or would like your current PruBSN takaful plan to do more, we have a variety of medical and critical illness riders that offer a range of additional protection coverage including Cancer Protector, Crisis Protector, Crisis Shield, Health Protector, Medic TotalCare and more.

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Supporting community health with PruBSN?

Supporting a healthy society has always been one of PruBSN’s core fundamentals, as we cannot achieve a truly healthy society if we overlook the underprivileged communities in Malaysia. Through our collective efforts, the support of relevant agencies, and your generosity, we have been able to provide takaful protection to many who are not able to afford them otherwise.

Ihsan Rider

Ihsan Rider makes doing a good deed easy. This affordable Shariah-compliant takaful rider starts with a monthly RM5 donation that is channelled to the PruBSN Prihatin Fund which supports PruBSN’s Microtakaful Jariyah programme.

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PruBSN Microtakaful Jariyah

This programme provides a full year of basic life protection coverage of RM10,000 for breadwinners in the B40 income group at no cost. PruBSN works closely with the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department in Malaysia to reach out to those registered in the national poverty database. Funds for this programme are raised via Ihsan rider, as well as PruBSN employee and agent contributions.?

With a small monthly donation, your support can make a lot of difference to underprivileged Malaysians, helping them live healthier. This will go a long way towards making Malaysia a healthier and more prosperous nation. Let’s work towards a healthier Malaysia for all of us! Call 03 2775 7188, email [email protected] or SMS 33080 to start your contributions today.

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What do you think life would be like if we lived in a healthier community and nation? How is your own health contributing to your community? Please share this article and tag others if you found this article insightful.

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References:

? National Library of Medicine

? National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019

? Malaysia National Health Accounts 2022

? International Trade Administration