Penang clinic joins first phase of national lung health initiative using AI screening

BUTTERWORTH, June 13 — The Seberang Jaya Health Clinic here has been selected as a facility for the first phase of the National Lung Health Initiative in Penang, aimed at strengthening the prevention, early screening and treatment of various lung diseases.

Penang Health director Datuk Dr Fazilah Shaik Allaudin said the new Ministry of Health (MOH) initiative involves the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to assist in chest X-ray screening more quickly and accurately, particularly for the early detection of lung cancer.

“The Seberang Jaya Health Clinic has been selected as one of the facilities for the first phase of the initiative, which also focuses on other lung diseases, including tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma,” she said in her speech at the World No Tobacco Day celebration held in conjunction with the Penang-level Malaysia Healthy National Agenda 2026 Roadshow today.

The event was held at Kolej Tingkatan Enam Desa Murni here today and was officiated by Penang Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi.

Dr Fazilah said the MOH is also continuing to strengthen various initiatives to help the public, particularly teenagers, quit smoking and overcome nicotine addiction through the JomQuit Programme, Smoking Cessation Clinics, the Oral Health Without Smoking Practice Programme (KOTAK), and the AI-based digital platform, Cik Era.

She said individuals wishing to quit smoking can obtain continuous support, counselling, treatment and motivation from the MOH.

She said this year’s World No Tobacco Day theme, Unmasking the Appeal — Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction, reminds people that tobacco and vape products are often promoted as modern and appealing, when in reality they can cause addiction and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, chronic lung disease and cancer.

The use of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, or vapes, among teenagers in the state remains worrying based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022, which found that the prevalence of use among adolescents aged 13 to 17 was 14.3 per cent, equivalent to about one in every seven teenagers, she said.

Meanwhile, Gooi said the trends reported by the NHMS were deeply worrying because nicotine can cause addiction at a young age and affect brain development, learning and overall well-being.

“As a state that prioritises the well-being of its people, the state government fully supports all efforts to protect teenagers and children from exposure to tobacco and vape products,” he said. — Bernama