WHO keen to work with Malaysia to promote exercise medicine: Expert

KUALA LUMPUR: The World Health Organisation (WHO) is keen to work with Malaysia to promote exercise medicine which has the potential to treat and prevent four Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), says an expert in exercise medicine.
Dr Lee Chee Pheng said WHO's interest in exercise medicine raised the possibility of Malaysia taking the lead in formulating a new policy on its impact.
He said the therapy had the potential to be an alternative remedy to conventional medicine in preventing hypertension diabetes, obesity, and dyslipidemia through the prescription of the right kind of therapy.
"Everyone knows the importance of exercises, but if the dosages are not enough, there will be no physiological changes.
"Thus, this exercise medicine therapy has proven to produce many positive changes to the human body if executed in the right manner," he told Bernama.
Dr Lee, who is also Asia College of Exercise and Sports Medicine chief executive officer, led a five-member delegation to WHO's headquarters on July 5 to deliberate on exercise medicine and other issues of mutual interest.
He said Malaysia should take a serious view on the impact of exercise medicine as the country's mortality rate from NCDs was still escalating.
"Despite the advancement of medical technologies, the mortality rate has not been contained over the past 15 years," he said.
On another note, Dr Lee said he had discussed with WHO about various health concerns in Malaysia including the closure of several fitness centres which had affected the daily exercise routine of many.
He also sought support from WHO on the inaugural World Conference on Exercise Medicine to be held in Langkawi from Nov 19-21.
"WHO has agreed to send Dr Temo Waganivalu, coordinator for WHO's Department for the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, to deliver a paper entitled Global NCD Target: To Reduce Physical Inactivity," he said. — Bernama