• ·   Ministry of Health officials together with Sanofi and Selangor Football Club joined forces together to hike Mount Santubong, the highest mountain in Kuching on last Saturday as a testament to our pledge in waging War Against Diabetes (WAD) for Malaysia’s future health and well-being
• ·   Rallying for 10,000 signatures from the public to support the War Against Diabetes and take action and take charge of your health for a healthier nation, in line with the Healthy Malaysia National Agenda (ANMS)

KUCHING, 23rd April 2022 - Sanofi Malaysia and Selangor Football Club (FC), together with Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia scaled the highest peak in Kuching, Sarawak to inspire and encourage Malaysians to take action to prevent diabetes, do regular health screening and seek for early treatment.

The hiking expedition was led by Datuk Dr. Chong Chee Keong, Deputy Director-General of Health (Public Health) from MOH. This expedition initiative is part of the War Against Diabetes (WAD), a public health campaign launched earlier this month by Selangor FC and Sanofi Malaysia, supported by MOH. That being said, Datuk Dr. Chong himself completed the hike, inspiring the nation to persevere and continue hiking the mountain, which is rated as hard standing at 810 meters or 2,658 feet.

“Having a healthy lifestyle to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCD) like Diabetes is not a difficult task. It is about our mindset and commitment, and here we are in Kuching, trekking up Santubong on Earth Day to demonstrate our commitment. The team aspires to be a catalyst to inspire Malaysians to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The trek was not easy, neither is change. Educating the public and seeking for a behavioral change attitude is not an easy task, however it is fortunate we have partners like Sanofi and the Selangor FC to spearhead this educational campaign advocating for a change in our lifestyle for a healthier life. What we need is the desire to not only live longer but a longer, healthier, and diabetes-free life,” shared Datuk Dr. Chong.

Alluding to the main agenda of ANMS which is to improve the health status of Malaysians, the approach is to work together with collaborators beyond government agencies to amplify the health message to the public. This expedition is an embodiment of collaborations with private organizations in approaching and dealing with the pressing issue of diabetes. It is imperative that a united front is solidified to turn this around. 

Doreen Tan, Head of Public Affairs & Market Access of Sanofi Malaysia, “This mission of conquering Mount Santubong is a bold commitment to further emphasize our goal of fighting Diabetes by advocating people to make healthier choices in their lifestyle.Building on our company’s heritage and commitment to innovation, we have a shared understanding that diabetes management goes beyond medicine and every individual has their own unique journey. We hope with better education, we are able to empower people to manage this disease and achieve their target blood sugar level."

Director of the State Health Department of Sarawak, Dr. Ooi Choo Huck commended the expedition of the group, “We are pleased that the 'War Against Diabetes' campaign chose Sarawak as one of its locations to spread this virtuous cause. It is one of the most majestic mountains in Malaysia and it can inspire Malaysians to take action and take charge of their health.” 

Dr. Johan Kamal Hamidon, Chief Executive Officer of Selangor FC, stated that, “As a professional sports club, Selangor FC aspires to play a bigger role in raising health awareness to our fans and the public, beyond being more than just a club. This hiking expedition is one of the concrete ways to showcase how we can adopt a healthy and active lifestyle. We want this 'War Against Diabetes' campaign to continue inspiring more people to take diabetes seriously.”

Let’s do this, Malaysians! We are campaigning for 10,000 pledges to support the WAD campaign. Pledge your signature on the petition link below: https://www.change.org/war-against-diabetes-MY
 
To find out more and express your support for this campaign, please follow the official 'War Against Diabetes' social media below:

Facebook: War Against Diabetes
Instagram: @wardiabetesMY
Twitter: @wardiabetesMY
 
 
About War Against Diabetes 
War Against Diabetes is the revolutionary nationwide diabetes campaign organized by Sanofi and Selangor FC, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Diabetes Malaysia and Malaysian Diabetes Educators Society, to inspire the public to take action on diabetes prevention and management. The campaign aims to raise public awareness on diabetes, early screening, early treatment and diabetes integrated care management for better health outcomes.
 
About GetInsulinRight
GetInsulinRight.My is the first of its kind e-learning platform dedicated to empowering Malaysians with knowledge on diabetes management with insulin through a series of personalized online learning modules on insulin management. Sanofi Malaysia partnered with Malaysian Diabetes Educators Society (MDES) to launch www.GetInsulinRight.my platform as part of the War Against Diabetes campaign.