KUALA LUMPUR: Six healthcare professional bodies have renewed their commitment to Malaysia’s Diabetes Lifestyle Programme (DLP) for another five years, focusing on lifestyle interventions and better diabetes management.
The renewal marks the beginning of the programme’s second phase, which will prioritise healthcare professional training, digital patient support and evidence-based guidelines for integrating lifestyle interventions into routine diabetes care.
The six organisations are the Malaysian Endocrine and Metabolic Society (MEMS), Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists’ Association (FMSA), Malaysian Dietitians’ Association (MDA), Malaysian Diabetes Educators Society (MDES) and Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia (AFPM).
The renewed commitment was formalised at a signing ceremony witnessed by Health deputy director-general (Medical) Datuk Dr Mohd Azman Yacob.
Established in 2021 with support from Abbott, the programme aims to strengthen the role of nutrition, physical activity, weight management and behavioural change in diabetes care.
Since its inception, DLP has reached 11,570 healthcare professionals through training initiatives. Of these, 5,360 have been certified as DLP Advocates to support people living with diabetes.
IMPROVING DIABETES CARE
In 2023, the programme was implemented at 51 Klinik Kesihatan nationwide, providing patients with structured lifestyle modification support and access to a web-based platform.
Patients who completed the six-month programme showed improvements in weight, HbA1c, fasting blood glucose levels and cardiometabolic risk factors.
In 2025, the programme’s digital support was enhanced with features covering dietary management, physical activity, blood glucose self-monitoring and sustained behavioural change.
It was also expanded into specialist care through a tertiary-care pilot at the Institute of Endocrinology, Hospital Putrajaya. This extended support to patients with more complex diabetes management needs.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Datuk Dr Mohd Azman said diabetes remained one of Malaysia’s most prevalent health concerns.
He said its impact extended beyond patients to their families, communities, healthcare resources and the economy.
Despite advances in medical treatment, he said prevention, early intervention and effective long-term self-management remained essential.
He added that the programme had helped healthcare professionals strengthen lifestyle interventions in routine care through evidence-based education and multidisciplinary collaboration.
THREE PRIORITIES FOR PHASE TWO
Over the next five years, DLP will focus on three key areas.
The first is to expand its network of advocates by training an additional 10,000 to 12,000 healthcare professionals across primary and specialist care settings.
The second is to introduce a lifestyle tracker mobile application to help patients manage their condition.
The application will include features for meal planning, food intake and physical activity tracking, personalised goal-setting and progress monitoring under the guidance of healthcare professionals.
The third priority is to develop an evidence-based professional framework to guide healthcare professionals in delivering personalised lifestyle counselling and shared decision-making.
The framework will include practical recommendations on nutrition, physical activity, weight management, sleep and behavioural modification, with an emphasis on culturally relevant guidance.
DLP expert panel chairperson Datuk Dr Zanariah Hussein said the next phase would focus on expanding access to training, strengthening clinical guidance and its application in real-world settings.
It would also leverage digital technology to support healthcare professionals and patients.
She said the aim was to make structured lifestyle interventions more accessible and practical across the diabetes care continuum.
For more information, visit the official Diabetes Lifestyle Programme website.