Pneumonia Is Now A Leading Cause Of Death In Malaysia

It has recently been revealed that pneumonia accounted for around 18,181 deaths in Malaysia in 2024. This makes up 15.2 percent of all medically certified fatalities. Officially, it is now the leading cause of medical-related death in Malaysia.

Despite this, many still assume that pneumonia is a minor complication of the flu. In reality, pneumococcal pneumonia, caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, is a life-threatening lung infection that can occur without warning and escalate rapidly.

According to information provided by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), this is the first time in two decades that pneumonia has overtaken heart disease as a leading cause of death in Malaysia. However, Lung Foundation of Malaysia chairman Prof Dr Roslina Abdul Manap told a local news daily that it is still not taken as seriously as it should be.

She also mentions that Malaysians are ageing at an unprecedented rate, with 11.6 percent of Malaysians being aged 60 and above in 2024. This figure is expected to rise to 23.4 percent by 2050.

Older Malaysians are more at risk

The main issue here is that older individuals are much more susceptible to severe respiratory infections. Symptoms of pneumococcal pneumonia may also be not as obvious within seniors compared to younger people.

While influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia may share some symptoms, the latter is more severe. Pneumonia is often harder to detect until full-blown symptoms appear. Patients may develop a high fever, persistent cough with phlegm, difficulty breathing, and chest pain.

Pneumonia spreads via airborne droplets

Pneumococcal pneumonia is also infectious, being able to spread via airborne droplets from coughing or sneezing. This makes high-density environments such as airports, crowded public spaces, and even hospitals potential hotspots for transmission.

Malaysians are encouraged to take preventative steps such as getting vaccinated against pneumonia, especially before the travel season begins. The government is also offering financial incentives for vaccination, allowing individuals to claim up to RM1,000 in tax relief. This is under the tax reliefs for vaccination expenses for themselves, their spouse, children, parents, or grandparents, covering several vaccines, including pneumococcal vaccination.