Minister: Health system cannot be strengthened without enforcing anti-tobacco measures

Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim stated that efforts to improve the Maldives’ health system will not succeed unless anti-tobacco measures, such as those introduced by the current administration, are enforced.

Speaking on the ‘Tharujaamaanaa Eku’ podcast hosted by government spokesperson Heena Waleed, Nazim said the disease trends in the Maldives demonstrate the strongest necessity of preventive measures for non-communicable diseases. He cited smoking as the main cause behind non-communicable diseases in the Maldives.

However, he noted that Maldives has a become a country that has taken comprehensive measures against smoking during the current administration.

“Our society will become more averse to smoking with the Tobacco Control Act amendments—tax increases, tighter buying and selling regulations, better registration processes and the vape ban alongside the generation smoking ban for people born after 2007 which makes selling tobacco products to them a criminal offense,” he said.

Minister Nazim stressed that the anti-tobacco measures represent a crucial step forward in safeguarding public health.

Speaker further, the Minister highlighted that the Maldivian health system has always focused on primary healthcare. He noted that, despite a shortage of doctors in some islands, services were still provided through community health workers and family health workers. He emphasized that reverting from this established system would not be easy and said that measures are currently being implemented to strengthen primary healthcare.

“One of the main programs on our agenda is compiling the [health] data of everyone in the Maldivian population above the age of 18, including laboratory tests, into a system, in order to strengthen the primary healthcare system,” he detailed.

Minister Nazim said that once the data compilation is complete, it will help identify individuals at highest risk, enabling early checkups and establishing a preventive system through regular checkups.

He added that data completion at islands in 12 atolls have been completed so far, adding training programs are being conducted for workers employed at health centres in these islands.

He said the goal is to finish data compilation at the remaining atolls within the next six or so months.

The Minister described efforts to strengthen the health system without consideration of such factors as trying to fill a bottomless pit.

“Trying to strengthen our health system without consideration of these factors is no different than trying to fill a bottomless pit. It will be like trying to fill a bucket filled with holes,” he said.

The current administration’s anti-tobacco measures received applause from international bodies.