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NA TIONAL BL UEP RINT F OR BEHA V IOURAL INSIGHTS IN HEALTH
MAINS TREAMING BEHA V IOURAL SCIENCE F OR BET TER HEALTH

MALAYSIA'S EXPERIENCE

As for Malaysia, BI initiatives are in line with the six key priority areas and are being integrated
into several health initiatives. Projects include empowering communities in Sabah for malaria
prevention, implementing pre-diabetic intervention programs, employing nudge-based
strategies to reduce overcrowding in emergency departments, exploring perception and
experience on mental health stigma and help seeking behaviour among adolescents from
multi sectoral perspectives, developing field-friendly health behavioural assessment tool for
lifestyle prescription, and promoting handwashing behaviour among pioneer school
children in Selangor (31). These initiatives reflect a commitment to translating insights into
actionable strategies that yield health outcomes. Despite still being in progress, the experiences
based on projects completed, integrating BI into policy and practices, and numerous capacity
building highlight the need for collaborative actions and adaptable strategies (32).

In addition, continuous efforts have been made to advocate on the use of behavioural
insights through multi-level consultations with policy-makers, programme planners, and
frontline implementers. This includes targeted engagements and technical discussions with
stakeholders across departments to support evidence-informed decision-making. Several
new projects have also emerged, such as those addressing vaccine hesitancy, and obesity
prevention, all of which incorporate behavioural principles into message framing, service
delivery, and public communication strategies.

Malaysia has also taken a step forward through the launch of the Dasar Literasi Kesihatan
Kebangsaan (National Health Literacy Policy), which reinforces the need for people-centred
and behaviourally-informed approaches in strengthening population health. The policy
marks a significant milestone in elevating the use of behavioural science across health
systems, reinforcing the importance of simplifying access, improving comprehension, and
building trust through strategic communication.

However, as more nations recognise the value of integrating behavioural science into public
health policies, the potential for positive change continues to grow across the region.

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