Kuala lumpur: More than 70 per cent of 200,000 Malaysian, Indonesian, Singaporean, and the Philippines adult respondents aspire to lead healthy lives, but at least one in three admit they do not look after their health as much as they should, according to a recent YouGov study.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, this finding was highlighted at the launch of 'For the Reasons that Matter', a multi-country public awareness campaign by Pfizer aimed at elevating adult respiratory health standards across the four countries. Launched in conjunction with World Immunisation Week, the campaign addresses the rising threat of serious respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and pneumococcal pneumonia, which are also increasingly impacting Malaysia's ageing population.
Pfizer cluster lead for Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines, Deborah Seifert, said the initiative was designed to make respiratory health conversations more human and actionable. 'Across our markets, we see a clear gap between what adults want for their health and the steps they take to protect it. Many care deeply about staying well, yet conversations about respiratory health are often delayed until something feels urgent,' she said in her opening address at the launch event.
The event featured a multi-country panel of six medical experts from the four participating countries, comprising two representatives from Malaysia, two from the Philippines, and one each from Singapore and Indonesia, who shared insights into the respiratory health landscapes of their respective nations.
The urgency of the campaign is reinforced by the Department of Statistics Malaysia's 2025 report, which ranked pneumonia as the second leading cause of death in the country in 2024 and the No 1 killer of adults, aged 60 and above. Malaysia is currently fighting with a dual challenge: a rapidly ageing demographic and a high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). By 2030, the number of elderly Malaysians is projected to reach 5.8 million.
The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2025 painted a sobering picture of the nation's health, revealing that 39 per cent of older Malaysians have diabetes, 73 per cent have hypertension, and 76 per cent have high cholesterol. Critically, 30 per cent of this group suffer from all three conditions simultaneously, while 50 per cent of those with known diabetes or hypertension are living with the conditions in an uncontrolled state.
Universiti Malaya Professor of Geriatric Medicine, Professor Dr Tan Maw Pin, who was one of the panelists, warned that respiratory infections could destabilise years of managed health for high-risk groups. 'For older adults, the consequences of illnesses like RSV or pneumococcal pneumonia extend well beyond the acute episode. A single respiratory event can trigger a cascade of challenges, from deconditioning and falls to cognitive decline and loss of independence,' she said during the panel session. She added that for many patients, the goal of ageing is not merely longevity but maintaining the agency to participate in family life and travel without being a burden to others.
The campaign also highlighted the critical role of healthcare professionals (HCPs) in navigating an increasingly cluttered information landscape. The YouGov study found that 56 per cent of Malaysian adults source health information from social media, nearly on par with the 47 per cent who consult doctors. However, 57 per cent of respondents said they only take action following a direct recommendation from a physician, placing HCPs at the critical juncture where awareness turns into medical decision-making.
Meanwhile, another panelist from Malaysia, CareClinics Healthcare Services head of Corporate Health, Marketing and Communication, Dr Rokeshwar Hari Dass, said the goal is to intervene while patients are still healthy. 'Respiratory health often feels invisible until something goes wrong. Protection is not about adding another task to your to-do list, it is about protecting your ability to keep doing everything else on that list. We want to be upstream of the moment someone becomes seriously ill,' he said.
The campaign particularly targets the sandwich generation adults caring for both children and elderly parents, urging them to view personal respiratory health as a responsible act for those who depend on them. The campaign encourages high-risk groups, including those with diabetes, hypertension and chronic lung disease, to consult their doctors to reduce the risk of respiratory complications that could lead to hospitalisation and long-term loss of independence.