SHAH ALAM, Apr 23 — The Selangor government is intensifying early health screening programmes among the elderly to detect non-communicable diseases at an early stage, ensuring they remain healthy and active.
State executive councillor for public health Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the initiative is crucial following a rise in chronic disease cases among the elderly, which requires a more strategic and sustained approach.
“This elderly health programme is implemented across nine districts and, since its introduction last year, a total of 1,953 elderly individuals have undergone health screening under this initiative.
“The programme is carried out through an outreach approach to ensure healthcare access is brought directly to communities, particularly the elderly,” she told Media Selangor.
She said that, in addition to screenings, the programme includes structured early interventions such as health talks, specialised exercises for the elderly and physiotherapy sessions conducted regularly over three months.
“This approach not only helps improve physical health, but also strengthens awareness and promotes healthy lifestyle practices among the elderly,” she said.
At the same time, Jamaliah said health education efforts are being intensified to raise public awareness of the risks of chronic diseases and age-related conditions.
According to her, preventive measures and early detection are essential to reduce health complications and curb rising treatment costs in line with an ageing population.
“Programmes such as Selangor Saring complement existing initiatives by providing free health screenings for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and kidney-related conditions.
“This initiative reflects the state government’s commitment to ensuring that the public, including the elderly, have access to quality health screenings regardless of background,” she said.
Previously, findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2025: Elderly Health showed that 39 per cent of the group has diabetes, while 73 per cent suffer from high blood pressure.
In addition, 76 per cent were recorded as having high cholesterol levels and 68 per cent had at least two of the three chronic conditions.
Furthermore, 30 per cent of the elderly were reported to have all three conditions, while 30.6 per cent were physically inactive and 12.8 per cent engaged in high levels of sedentary behaviour.
