{
  "id": 11307844,
  "title": "Inisiatif kesihatan paru-paru Malaysia boleh jadi model Asean",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/inisiatif-kesihatan-paru-paru-malaysia-boleh-jadi-model-asean",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-01T23:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2026/10/02/inisiatif-kesihatan-paru-paru-malaysia-boleh-jadi-model-asean"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The National Lung Health Initiative (NLHI) in Malaysia, launched in February 2025, began as a response to the challenge of misdiagnosed lung cancer, which is one of the most common cancers among Malaysian men. While initially focused on lung cancer, the initiative has expanded to encompass a comprehensive approach to lung health, making it a potential model for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).\n\nDr Nor Aryana Hassan, the Head of Disease Surveillance at the Ministry of Health, clarified that NLHI is not solely about lung cancer. Instead, it represents a broader collaboration across various lung health issues. Dr M Murallitharan, the Head of Cancer Association Affairs at NLHI, explained that the initiative aims to unite previously separate efforts in lung health, leveraging the system and entities outside the healthcare system to improve overall health, with a focus on the lungs.\n\nNLHI now includes lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and tuberculosis. These conditions may differ clinically, but they share common risk factors such as smoking, workplace exposure, and air pollution. Aryana noted that interplay of these risk factors implies that prevention cannot be solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. \"When we talk about primary prevention, it actually encompasses the role of the Ministry of Health,\" she said.\n\nThe core of NLHI is LungShield, a program that combines low-dose CT lung screening with micro-insurance to cover the costs of follow-up tests. Addressing the challenge of public attitudes towards health screening, Murallitharan remarked, \"We are so confident about our own health that we don't even consider the need for screening. This is still the biggest barrier.\" For those willing to undergo screening, the cost and accessibility of follow-up tests can be deterrents. LungShield aims to address this by providing insurance coverage for everything from CT scans to molecular tests.\n\nPricing for LungShield ranges from RM179 for the promotional rate to RM479 for the corporate standard rate. To make screening more accessible in rural and low-income communities, NCSM employs a subsidy mechanism. The Malaysian Council of Health Strategy (ASHA) 2026-2030, recently approved, includes several elements of NLHI, indicating a potential ASEAN-wide expansion. Aryana emphasized that Malaysia should not simply replicate the entire NLHI model or start from scratch; instead, elements of NLHI could be adapted to fit each country's healthcare system and market conditions. For instance, LungShield could be introduced through insurance companies already operating in several ASEAN countries. Malaysia is also considering pricing agreements with technology providers for the wider region, not just for the domestic market. The minister noted that other countries could use Malaysia's pricing as a example of regional cooperation.",
  "summary": "Persatuan Kanser Kebangsaan Malaysia berkata model Malaysia boleh disesuaikan mengikut sistem kesihatan dan pasaran setiap negara Asean.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Malaysia’s National Lung Health Initiative sets out regional model for Asean",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/malaysias-national-lung-health-initiative-sets-out-regional-model-for",
        "published": "2026-10-01T23:15:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}