Guidance

Malaysia: migrant health guide

Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients from Malaysia for healthcare practitioners.

From:
Public Health England
Published
31 July 2014
Last updated
21 September 2021 — See all updates

Main messages

If the patient is new to the UK:

Screen all new entrants, including children, for tuberculosis (TB).

Due to an intermediate prevalence, consider screening for hepatitis B, particularly among those who have recently arrived.

The prevalence of HTLV is high.

There is a high risk of malaria.

There is a high risk of typhoid infection.

Consider nutritional and metabolic concerns.

Infectious diseases

Immunisation

Ensure that all patients, especially children, are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule. See Immunisation collection with complete schedules.

Tuberculosis (TB)

There is a high incidence of TB in Malaysia (40 to 499 cases per 100,000), so:

  • screen all new entrants (including children) for TB according to NICE guidelines
  • refer to TB services promptly if screening is positive
  • maintain long term vigilance for symptoms of TB even if initial screening is negative
  • be aware that TB is a notifiable disease

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV

Take a sexual history, and:

  • screen for STIs and HIV according to risk as specified in the UK national standards and guidelines
  • test all sexually active patients under the age of 25 for chlamydia

Malaysia has a low rate of HIV (≤1%), so offer and recommend a HIV test if the patient:

  • falls into a high risk group
  • is newly registering in a high prevalence area

Hepatitis B

There is an intermediate prevalence of hepatitis B, so:

  • consider screening for hepatitis B, particularly those who have recently arrived
  • offer screening for hepatitis B to all pregnant women during each pregnancy
  • immunise appropriately babies born to mothers who are hepatitis B positive, and follow up accordingly
  • be aware that the UK has a a universal infant immunisation programme for hepatitis B and a selective immunisation programme for higher risk groups

Hepatitis C

The prevalence of hepatitis C is higher than the UK, so consider screening for hepatitis C if other risk factors apply.

Malaria

There is a high risk of malaria in some areas of Malaysia, due to P. falciparum and P. vivax so:

  • test any unwell patient who has travelled to and from affected areas of Malaysia in the last year
  • remember that malaria can be rapidly fatal

Typhoid

There is a high risk of typhoid infection in Malaysia, so:

  • ensure that travellers to Malaysia are offered typhoid immunisation and advice on prevention of enteric fever
  • remember enteric fever in the differential diagnosis of illness in patients with a recent history of travel to or from Malaysia

Travel plans and advice

Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin. People who travel to visit friends and relatives (VFR travellers) should visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for overseas travel advice and National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) for country specific travel advice prior to leaving the UK.

Nutritional and metabolic concerns

Anaemia

There is a low risk of anaemia in adults (estimated prevalence is 5% to 20%) and a moderate risk in pre-school children (estimated prevalence is 20% to 40%), so:

  • be alert to this possibility in recently arrived migrants, particularly for women and pre-school children
  • test as clinically indicated

Vitamin D

Consider the possibility of vitamin D deficiency in people who may be at risk due to:

  • darker skin
  • those who are not often outdoors
  • those who cover up most of their skin when outdoors

Vitamin A

There may be a risk of vitamin A deficiency.

Women’s health

Reproductive health indicators

Reproductive health indicator UK Malaysia
Number of children per woman¹ 1.7 2.0
Use of contraception² 71.7% 52.2%

¹lifetime average; ²women aged 50 to 69 years

Country profile

Health indicators and health care

WHO Global Health Observatory has a summary of health indicators and health care in Malaysia.

Culture, politics and history

BBC News and The World Factbook provide background information on the culture, politics and history of Malaysia.

Languages

The main languages used in Malaysia are:

  • Bahasa Malaysia (official)
  • English
  • Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan and Foochow)
  • Tamil
  • Telugu
  • Malayalam
  • Panjabi
  • Thai

Malaysia has 134 living languages (112 indigenous languages and 22 non-indigenous languages). In East Malaysia, there are several indigenous languages, and the most widely spoken are Iban and Kadazan.

Source: The World Factbook

Religions

Religion Population (%)
Muslim (official) 61.3
Buddhist 19.8
Christian 9.2
Hindu 6.3
Confucianism, Taoism, other traditional Chinese religions 1.3
Other 0.4
None 0.8
Unspecified 1

Source: The World Factbook

Migration to the UK

At the time of the 2011 census there were almost 65,000 people from Malaysia living in England and Wales. Source: Office for National Statistics

Updates to this page

Published 31 July 2014
Last updated 21 September 2021 + show all updates

  1. Updated country guidance on prevalence of communicable diseases and other health topics.

  2. First published.

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