Type 2 diabetes being diagnosed in Malaysians as young as 14, says Health Minister
Malaysia's Health Minister has expressed concern over rising Type 2 diabetes cases among youths as young as 14. The government is continuing its 'War on Sugar' campaign to combat the prevalence of non-communicable diseases.
Why it matters
The early onset of chronic diseases in youth poses a significant long-term burden on public healthcare systems and national productivity.
KUALA LUMPUR: Type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed in Malaysians as young as 14 years old, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told the Dewan Rakyat.
“This is worrying,” says Dzulkefly, on Thursday (July 16).
He revealed that 1,932 patients under the age of 30 were registered in the National Diabetes Registry (NDR) in 2025, up from 1,926 in 2024. As of June 2026, an additional 660 new cases have already been recorded.
Responding to a question from Datuk Dr Richard Rapu (GPS-Betong) regarding rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among youths, the minister shared data from the 2025 National Health Screening Initiative.
Out of 347,813 individuals aged 18 to 30 screened, 3.4% were found to have high blood glucose levels and 8.8% had high blood pressure, despite 98.1% having no prior history of NCDs.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in