PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has done well in a recent Joint External Evaluation (JEE) which reviewed the nation's International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities across 19 technical areas and 49 indicators.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said JEE, comprising a multi-sectoral team of international experts coordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO), had commended the significant efforts Malaysia had made to strengthen its health security.
The 19 technical areas covered by the assessment were based on core elements such as preventing and reducing the likelihood of outbreaks and other public health hazards and events defined by IHR.
Others are detecting threats early; responding rapidly and effectively, using multi-sectoral, national and international coordination and communication, as well as IHR capacities at points of entry and during chemical events and radiation emergencies.
"Malaysia has been urged to continue strengthening its core capabilities to prevent, detect and respond promptly and effectively to all public health threats, guided by recommended priority actions," Dr Dzulkefly told reporters after meeting the JEE team led by Dr Mark Salter.
Also present were WHO representative to Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore Dr Ying-Ru Lo, Health Ministry's secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Chen Chaw Min and Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
Dr Dzulkefly said that the JEE team found many strengths in Malaysia including having well established mechanisms for command, control and coordination of multi-sectoral health emergency preparedness and response as guided by the National Security Council Directive 20 and facilitated by the National Disaster Management Agency.
"And, the ministry's Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre provides the functional centre for preparedness planning, synthesising information and coordinating health sector response."
He highlighted the step-by-step strengthening of health security systems with a long term vision, through the development and implementation of Malaysia Strategic Workplan for Emerging Diseases (MySED Workplan).
"Evaluations of workplan were periodically held to identify the need to further enhancement of public responses and preparedness strategies. MySED Workplan II (2017-2021) was introduced following this review," he said.
Dr Dzulkefly also said another of Malaysia's strong points found by the JEE team was the country's national surveillance system that synthesised data across various reporting systems.
"It has real time entry at the district, state and national level, which is monitored daily and come up with risk assessment, response decision making and risk communication."
On Malaysia's average rating given by the JEE team, Dr Salter said: "The numerical evaluations given are the least significant here. What we should highlight are the priorities, strengths and recommendations given to what is already a strong global health capacity and security in Malaysia.
"Many aptitudes, capabilities and capacities that Malaysia has are already being used to support neighbouring colleagues in Asean.
"I think the international community as a whole can learn from the commendable system of global health security that Malaysia has," he said.