Tobacco Induced Diseases (Mar 2018)

Strengthening quit smoking services in Malaysia through Malaysia Quit (mQuit) Program

  • Noraryana Hassan,
  • Nizam Baharom,
  • Netty Darwina Dawam,
  • Norliana Ismail,
  • Christopher Eugene Festus,
  • Omar Mihat,
  • Chee Kheong Chong

DOI
https://doi.org/10.18332/tid/84344
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 1

Abstract

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Background and challenges to implementation Base on the Malaysian National Health Morbidity Survey in 2011, 48.6% of smokers have made quit attempt in the past 12 months but only 32.4% visited health care provider (HCP). One of the main challenges of getting professional advice in quitting is due to limited cessation services within public clinics and hospital. To overcome this and in line with Article 14 WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Malaysia has developed a holistic and structured program under Malaysia Quit or mQuit services. Intervention or response The mQuit services was inaugurated on 27 th November 2015 through public-private partnership with the objective to make smoking cessation services accessible throughout the public and private sectors. The services were further enhanced with a quitline counselling system and a website to promote and facilitate registration of smokers to cessation program through www.jomquit.moh.gov.my. Both mQuit providers in public and private sectors have to fulfil standard criteria set by the Ministry of Health before accreditation given and the list is made available in the jomquit website. To date, 160 private HCP and 764 government health clinics and hospitals have become mQuit providers. Results and lessons learnt The number of registered patients have increased from 7757 in 2015 to 10791 in 2016. Since services start in private sector, the total number registered with private mQuit providers has increased from 10 patients in January 2017 to total of 394 patients until June 2017. The total number of registration through jomquit website was 420 patients. The implementation of the mQuit encountered a few challenges at first. Challenges and recommendations are discussed with all partners and remedial measures were applied to improve the services. Conclusions and key recommendations The mQuit services has increased accessibility to smoking cessation services in Malaysia.

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