| Medical Facilities and Health Information |
Medical facilities and services are adequate in the larger cities, where you can find Western-trained doctors. The U.S. Embassy can provide a list of English-speaking doctors and hospitals upon request. Psychological and psychiatric medical and counseling services are limited. Serious medical problems requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost thousands of dollars or more. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services, although major credit cards are acceptable at some hospitals in larger cities. Malaysian ambulance attendants do not have training equivalent to U.S. standards. Callers to Malaysia's "999" emergency number (equivalent to dialing 911 in the United States) are connected to the Red Crescent (a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies), and patients are directed to whichever hospital the dispatcher chooses. If you are staying in Malaysia for a long time, and you have known health problems, you should investigate private ambulance services in the area and provide family and close contacts with the direct telephone number(s) of the service you prefer. Air quality in Malaysia is acceptable most of the time. However, when Malaysia and nearby countries burn vegetation, especially from March through June and during September and October, air quality can range from “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to “unhealthy.” |
| Drinking Water Source - percent of rural population improved | 98.5% |
| Drinking Water Source - percent of total population unimproved | 0.4% |
| Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved | 100% |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.5% |
| Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population | 1.8 |
| People Living with HIV/AIDS | 100,000 |
| Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population | 1.2 |
| Diseases - note | highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds |
| Sanitation Facility Access - percent of total population unimproved | 4.3% |
| Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved | 96.1% |
| Sanitation Facitlity Access - percent of rural population improved | 94.6% |
| Major Infectious Diseases - degree of risk | intermediate |
| Food or Waterborne Disease (s) | bacterial diarrhea |
| Vectorborne Disease (s) | dengue fever |
| Water contact disease (s) | leptospirosis |
You are responsible for ensuring that you meet and comply with foreign entry requirements, health requirements and that you possess the appropriate travel documents. Information provided is subject to change without notice. One should confirm content prior to traveling from other reliable sources. Information published on this website may contain errors. You travel at your own risk and no warranties or guarantees are provided by us.