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Category: Health EN

Scrap sugar subsidy

CAP calls upon the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism to immediately stop subsidising the price of sugar. Sugar should be sold at its market price because it is not a basic necessity and its consumption only harms one’s health. Sugar has been linked to over 60 ailments from cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart problems, osteoporosis and kidney problems to asthma and allergies....
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Hazards of low-level radiation

Below we reproduce Chapter 5 of "Wasted Lives: Radioactive Poisoning in Bukit Merah" for our readers. It shows the many ill-effects of low-level radiation and its impacts on the residents in Bukit Merah. What is frightening about radiation is that you cannot see it, feel it, hear it or taste it. You do not have to get into the area of a radioactive dump, dig the soil, bathe in it, or throw it...
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Conquer obesity in the battle against diabetes

In Malaysia in spite of many campaigns against diabetes its prevalence especially that of Type 2 has increased to epidemic proportions. At the current population of 28 million and at the prevalence rate of 15 percent it is estimated that there are 4.2 million diabetics in Malaysia. The prevalence of diabetes in Malaysia had jumped from 1-2% in 1960. 6.3% in 1985, 8.3% in 1996 and 14.9% in 2006....
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Call on government to address over-prescribing at source – and not just the fallout

CAP views with apprehension the Ministry’s strategy to tackle the fallout created by over-prescription, rather than the underlying cause, by calling on the public to return unused or expired medications at selected government medical centres and hospitals.  The rationale for the move initiated last year is to protect the environment against indiscriminate disposal of expired medications, and...
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Asbestos: Malaysia should make sure ban stays in place

The Consumers Association of Penang called for a complete ban on all forms of asbestos way back in 2001. This was due to the rising number of cases of asbestos-related diseases due to the intensive use of asbestos in the past and the fact that some countries, including Malaysia, continue to use chrysotile. In a recent consultation with the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) on 28...
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Need for proper audit of medical items in government hospitals

Is the recent dumping of unused medical items at the Penang Hospital just the tip of the iceberg to a much bigger problem of lack of supervision over procurement, use and disposal in government hospitals? What society needs, and what consumers deserve is proactive action on the part of the government, namely the Ministry of Health, to ensure a proper monitoring system over all dealings of...
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Health campaigns must be concerted and supported by every government body

Malaysians are not drastically changing their lifestyles despite the millions spent by the Government to woo them with health campaigns. Are Malaysians lackadaisical and to be solely blamed for the ineffectiveness of the various health drives initiated, and for taxpayers’ money pumped into these campaigns going to waste? The Government and the people should not be too shocked with the recent...
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Illegal sale of oral contraceptives and the health problems caused by their misuse

A survey conducted by Consumers Association of Penang on oral contraceptive pills showed that they were easily and freely available at pharmacies. These drugs are controlled by the Poisons Act 1952, which requires the seller to record their sales in a register called Poisons Book kept by the pharmacy. The easy availability of these drugs over the counter without the registration of the buyer's...
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Eating well with less money

Can we get well with less money?  It's not only possible. It is true that good food is cheaper because processed foods can be very expensive. Natural and fresh foods are also more nutritious. They also have no food additives which are added not for eating, but for longer shelf-life; replace lost colours and flavours; and other needs of the food industry. You can get more vitamins,...
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Call for true enforcement to reduce smoking

Smoking is bad for health, pure and simple. And yet measures taken to address the smoking pandemic in Malaysia seems conflicted – on one hand is the cost in human and health terms, while on the other side stifling government efforts are the apparent negative effect on tobacco farmers and poverty alleviation. The latter argument is flawed. The smoking statistics in Malaysia is quite alarming;...
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