Liew (left) presenting a certificate of appreciation to Jasminah. At right is Lee.
KOTA KINABALU: More than 40,000 stroke cases are estimated to occur annually in Malaysia, resulting in almost 14,000 deaths, according to the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, said Api-Api Assemblywoman Datuk Christina Liew.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy is an independent public policy research and advocacy organisation based in Malaysia.
Stroke is a medical condition that occurs when there is a blocked artery leading to reduced blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain (called ischaemic stroke) or a burst blood vessel in the brain (called haemorrhagic stroke).
Liew said stroke is the second leading cause of death and disability in the country, and that many stroke patients end up with permanent disability.
“Based on research by the Galen Centre, sixty percent of stroke patients were above the age of 60. The main risk factors for stroke include hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity.
“As stroke is a disease of enormous public health importance, it is most apt and timely for the organisers to hold this talk for the benefit of the general public,” she said when opening the Stroke Awareness Talk at the Pacific Sutera Horbour here yesterday.
Liew (seated at centre), flanked by Lee (on her left) and Jasminah, with the guests and participants at the Stroke Awareness Talk.
Some 130 people attended the talk organised by the PKR Kota Kinabalu Branch Women’s Movement led by Vivien Lee, to mark World Stroke Day 2023. The guest speaker was Jasminah Ali who is the Chairman of National Stroke Association of Malaysia, Sabah (Nasam Sabah).
Liew, who is also PKR Kota Kinabalu Branch Chief, shared the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) stroke data from January to August this year made available by the State Health Department.
“Of the total number of 336 stroke cases (82 Brain Bleed cases and 254 Ischaemic cases), 174 cases were patients aged above 60 years while the rest (162 cases) were patients aged below 60 years. A further breakdown shows that 51 cases were patients aged below 45 years while the rest (285 cases) were patients aged above 45 years,” she said, adding that obviously, younger people were not spared.
Liew noted that as far as the 336 stroke cases are concerned, an analysis showed that the main risk factors were hypertension, smoking, high cholesterol and diabetes, while others were related to alcohol, gout and coronary artery disease (CAD), among other medical conditions.
“Needless to say, stroke is preventable if we adopt a healthy lifestyle, and one way is to stop the habit of smoking.”
On the higher level of stroke awareness among members of the local community today, compared to 20 or 30 years ago, she attributed this to public education through talks and seminars as well as stroke awareness campaigns by the health authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“Imagine the number of lives that can be saved if we are equipped with the necessary knowledge and information to handle the situation in the event of a stroke in one’s family or at the workplace,” Liew said.
Meanwhile, the Api-Api Assemblywoman announced a donation of RM10,000 to Nasam Sabah for its activities.
“I hope this will also enable the association to translate literature on stroke into Mandarin for the benefit of Chinese-educated readers,” she said.
